Chhattisgarh: SECRT creating digital content to enhance learning of students

Raipur(Chhattisgarh) [India], May 27: In an effort to improve access to education under the vision of 'Padhai Tuhar Dwar', Chhattisgarh's State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has developed digital content in 36 subjects for students between class 9 and 12, officials said on Saturday.

SCERT has so far prepared digital content of around 1,77,000 minutes.

Officials said that SCERT with support from the Centre is taking steps to promote digital education including through TV channels and the trials will start in June this year.

The council is keen that children do not face loss of education due to any reason.

SECRT is developing digital content in 36 subjects for students from classes 9 to12, said Dipankar Bhowmick, Assistant Professor, SECRT.

"So far content of around 1,77,000 minutes has been created," he said.

He said the creation of around 96 per cent of content has been completed and the material uploaded and added that the remaining four per cent will also be completed soon as the team of SECRT is working extensively.

The official said works related to shooting, audio dubbing, editing and various other tasks are going on at a good pace and will be completed in the coming days.

"Apart from creating the content, we have uploaded videos in a YouTube channel named PTD (Padhai Tuhar Dwar). The channel has 85,000 subscribers, Bhowmick said and noted that uploaded content has been watched around 7.30 lakh times.

The use of these contents is not just limited to Chhattisgarh, instead they are being watched in other Hindi-speaking states as well as overseas where Indians are residing, Bhowmick pointed out.

He said work on the creation of digital content started in October 2018 and it played a major role in helping students during COVID-19.

The official said that the content has been enriched using animation, videos, picture images, and text materials to sustain the interest of students.

"Our focus during the creation of content is that a student should be able to understand it easily," he said.

The subject experts selected for the creation of content belong to government and private schools as well as colleges. The experts later participate in a training session.

Bhowmick said SECRT has not hired any agency outside for the initiative.

"SECRT has its own studio where we shoot, dub, edit and perform other tasks related to the videos with the help of our technical staff. The subject experts also sit with the technical staff during the editing of the videos to support them and to ensure the quality of the final product. Before these are uploaded, the content is checked at multiple levels," he said.

Apart from YouTube, the content is also uploaded on the website of Chhattisgarh's SECRT.

SCERT Director Rajesh Singh Rana said various options are being explored to take the digital study material to the widest audience.