VIRTUAL LABORATORIES: A POSITIVE INTERVENTION IN SCHOOL EDUCATION

Abstract

The Indian Education System, though considered to be very robust at the secondary and higher secondary levels, has some innate flaws that educationists, policymakers, teachers and other stakeholders, including parents, have been pointing out time and again. The overwhelming content and emphasis on rote learning have been the main issues that have created a disconnect between students and their learning and, as a result, they are often not able to apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom to solve contemporary challenges. To mitigate the issues, educationists worldwide have emphasised imparting practical knowledge. Practicals have, therefore, been integrated with the general coursework. For science students, it has been mandatory to have laboratory exposure. Students have also been evaluated for their capabilities to conduct lab experiments and analyse the results. However, we understand that only a fraction of school engage students correctly in laboratories. Many secondary and higher secondary schools struggle to have basic laboratory facilities in place. Besides, the lack of quality equipment and trained manpower to maintain these labs is prevalent in many parts of the country. The right to quality education is now enshrined in our constitution. Therefore, a person in any part of the country is entitled to receive that. To achieve the mission that each student gets the exposure, if not in real-time but through remote access, the concept of Virtual Labs gained popularity. In 2009, the pilot project to start these labs started in India in an organised and nationally coordinated manner. The top-down approach was used to introduce Virtual Labs in teaching-learning. It has penetrated secondary school education lately and these Virtual Labs are now seen as a positive intervention in school education where secondary school students can access practical knowledge through engaging learning management platforms. It is essential for schools to invest in building infrastructure to support these for the government to train people who can help develop the content that is more pertinent at regional levels, and for the stakeholders to accept the new technology and reap the harvest. There is also a strong need to have the content available in regional languages