A group of Pakistani-Americans, settled in Silicon Valley, have begun preparing video lectures of the Sindh Text Board’s science books.
It is said that an idea can change a life, or in some cases, many lives. Project “learntive” is one such idea. Suhail Ahmed, a graduate from the NED University, has collected what he calls a bunch of “nut-heads” to begin a massive project that involves PhD teachers – Pakistanis at American universities – to prepare educational videos of the topics taught in the science curriculum of class IX and X. All of them are volunteers.
So far, one mathematics book of class IX has been prepared, and uploaded on www.learntive.com. The interface appears as a page out of notebook, and each sum is solved, with a voiceover of a teacher, explaining the logic behind each step. The second mathematics book will be uploaded by September.
The inspiration began from Khan Academy, a Microsoft and Google-sponsored idea of a Bangladeshi American, Salman Khan, who made 3,200 video lectures on various topics available on his website. Ahmed said the lectures were in English, and students from universities in Karachi were hired to translate them into Urdu. “It was good pocket money for them, Rs2,000 for each video.”
But after the 2011 floods, Ahmed visited the flood-affected areas, and he realised that generic lectures would not help matters. The post-flood situation with schools destroyed was frustrating students. “If there was one thing close to their [students’] hearts, it was their course books. They wanted to clear the matriculation examination with flying colours. The fact that there was no one to teach was making them bitter.”
This was when the idea struck. “I realised that the books of the Sindh Text Board were not so bad. We studied from the same books and have managed to do fair enough in life. It was only because we had good teachers who taught us well.”
Ahmed has worked with Microsoft, Oracle, CISCO, Walmart and now owns his own software house in the US.
Another of their teammate, Raaghib Hussain is the founder of a software company, Cavium.
Gradually, Ahmed was able to collect seven likeminded friends, who funded the project and prepared lectures as well. The lectures are available online, and for areas where broadband connectivity is not available, DVDs will be available.
This time when the learntive team came to Karachi, they met with Education Secretary Siddiq Memon. “We told him that we are some ‘mad men’, who will provide the education department with DVDs of the Sindh Text Board curriculum. He assured us that he will make them reach villages in interior Sindh.”
According to an initial understanding, when children take home a DVD, they will also be given an enrollment card, so that the number of students enrolled in the programme can be quantified.
The team believes that 465,000 science students of the matric board will benefit from their project. And once the project is completely launched, many problems including ghost schools, absence of teachers from schools, unqualified teachers and tuition culture will be overcome.
According to a UNESCO report, the quality of education provided by the public sector in Pakistan has been poor due to low levels of teacher competence, while the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development had pointed out that 70 percent of primary schoolteachers merely give 15 minutes to each subject in a 35-minute daily class.
“A class is taken only once, a video can be played again and again for better understanding,” remarked Ahmed.
Project learntive started under the umbrella of the Koshish Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation that has been working for education welfare by awarding scholarships and sponsoring student projects, particularly at the NED University.
It is said that an idea can change a life, or in some cases, many lives. Project “learntive” is one such idea. Suhail Ahmed, a graduate from the NED University, has collected what he calls a bunch of “nut-heads” to begin a massive project that involves PhD teachers – Pakistanis at American universities – to prepare educational videos of the topics taught in the science curriculum of class IX and X. All of them are volunteers.
So far, one mathematics book of class IX has been prepared, and uploaded on www.learntive.com. The interface appears as a page out of notebook, and each sum is solved, with a voiceover of a teacher, explaining the logic behind each step. The second mathematics book will be uploaded by September.
The inspiration began from Khan Academy, a Microsoft and Google-sponsored idea of a Bangladeshi American, Salman Khan, who made 3,200 video lectures on various topics available on his website. Ahmed said the lectures were in English, and students from universities in Karachi were hired to translate them into Urdu. “It was good pocket money for them, Rs2,000 for each video.”
But after the 2011 floods, Ahmed visited the flood-affected areas, and he realised that generic lectures would not help matters. The post-flood situation with schools destroyed was frustrating students. “If there was one thing close to their [students’] hearts, it was their course books. They wanted to clear the matriculation examination with flying colours. The fact that there was no one to teach was making them bitter.”
This was when the idea struck. “I realised that the books of the Sindh Text Board were not so bad. We studied from the same books and have managed to do fair enough in life. It was only because we had good teachers who taught us well.”
Ahmed has worked with Microsoft, Oracle, CISCO, Walmart and now owns his own software house in the US.
Another of their teammate, Raaghib Hussain is the founder of a software company, Cavium.
Gradually, Ahmed was able to collect seven likeminded friends, who funded the project and prepared lectures as well. The lectures are available online, and for areas where broadband connectivity is not available, DVDs will be available.
This time when the learntive team came to Karachi, they met with Education Secretary Siddiq Memon. “We told him that we are some ‘mad men’, who will provide the education department with DVDs of the Sindh Text Board curriculum. He assured us that he will make them reach villages in interior Sindh.”
According to an initial understanding, when children take home a DVD, they will also be given an enrollment card, so that the number of students enrolled in the programme can be quantified.
The team believes that 465,000 science students of the matric board will benefit from their project. And once the project is completely launched, many problems including ghost schools, absence of teachers from schools, unqualified teachers and tuition culture will be overcome.
According to a UNESCO report, the quality of education provided by the public sector in Pakistan has been poor due to low levels of teacher competence, while the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development had pointed out that 70 percent of primary schoolteachers merely give 15 minutes to each subject in a 35-minute daily class.
“A class is taken only once, a video can be played again and again for better understanding,” remarked Ahmed.
Project learntive started under the umbrella of the Koshish Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation that has been working for education welfare by awarding scholarships and sponsoring student projects, particularly at the NED University.
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