Learning in a CASTLE?

India needs innovative, effective and affordable solutions for the education sector. IT can obviously play a big role in this. Frederick Noronha explains how CASTLE can help

CASTLE refers to the Computer Aided System of Teaching, Learning and Evaluation. Its India-based writers promise it is an “effective simulation” of classroom teaching on a school-wide intranet.

“It provides a flexible platform that can support multimedia options such as movies, animation and sound to make classroom teaching more interesting. It builds on students’ achievements,” explains Rajneesh Malviya <rajneesh_malviya2000@yahoo.com>.

This system consists of Administrator-, Teacher- and Student- modules. The administrator assigns authorisations to teachers and students with different privileges.

CASTLE focuses primarily around classroom teaching and learning.

This involves the preparation and maintenance of study material and assignments for all classes and subjects. The teacher has been provided front-ends on the Internet browser which (s)he can use to provide inputs.

These inputs may be in the form of figures, animations, videos or audio from resources as varied as the Internet, libraries, textbooks, CD-ROMs, or slide shows. The material can be updated any time. Student can access these lesson plans even after class and these lessons are available throughout the year.

The front-end enables teachers to design their own tests. Teachers can edit these tests by adding, editing or deleting questions. They can do so at their convenience, but keep them inactive till the test is due. After the test, it can be inactivated again. These tests can also be made available as practice tests if the teacher desires.

Students, using their user IDs and passwords, can take these tests and get immediate individual scores. These scores are logged into the teacher’s module.

This creators say the solution is “based on software being provided by the worldwide (Free/Libre and) Open Source Software movement.” In addition, the solution promises customisation to “fit varied study-needs of students” and allows for the “active participation” of the schoolteacher in designing and providing courseware.

The creators say the solution is capable of linking with the school’s database-driven website through the Net. Whatever the case, India does need more effective and affordable IT solutions for deployment in education and CASTLE is definitely good news.