A US boost for India's science education

In bustling Bangalore's schools, a lack of resources, but an openness to new ideas

(Nevin Katz photo)

A Bhopal student puts the finishing touches on a paper mask during an art class.

Nevin Katz is an online learning specialist who lives in Watertown. He recently traveled to India on behalf of Education Development Center, Inc., an international nonprofit organization that develops programs to improve education, health, and economic development worldwide. EDC’s project to incorporate technology to improve learning in Indian classrooms is funded by the United States Agency for International Development in partnership with Microsoft.

By Nevin Katz

April 21,2009

BANGALORE, India -- Sometimes tossing out the agenda and responding to the surroundings on a given day yields great things -- and today was one of those days. For the second day of our teacher focus group, I arrived at Bangalore University prepared to run a dry science brainstorming session, writing science topics on the board. But when we entered the room, we saw teachers already at the computers, exploring the interactive physics programs we had shown them the day before.

In India’s schools, there is a need for resources that help teachers to make science more exciting and accessible for the diverse range of students in their classroom, many of whom are struggling. As part of my work for Education Development Center, I have travelled to Bhopal and Bangalore to work on a multimedia physics CD that will be used in India’s classrooms. To understand the reality of an Indian classroom, I have come to India to visit schools, meet teachers, and discuss the educational system with school officials.

On this day, instead of starting the whiteboard session, I asked the teachers for their thoughts on the physics software we had them work with. They showed us some programs on the computer that we hadn't had a chance to explain, so it was great that they were exploring. We talked about some of their favorite programs, and talked about how these could be modified for the classroom. A highlight for me was seeing how open they were to new ideas that they seemed eager to incorporate into their practice.

My school visits and focus groups were complemented by some visits to historic sights in India, one of which was the Botanical Gardens in Bangalore. This was a sprawling arboretum full of the most beautiful flowers, plants, and altars - as well as an impressive geological formation composed of igneous rock. I naturally looked at these through both an aesthetic and a scientific lens and couldn’t help thinking of a life science and earth science CD in the future.

(Nevin Katz photo)

The central greenhouse at Bangalore's Botanical Gardens.

Bangalore is a sprawling city full of universities that has grown by leaps and bounds. The city’s expanding area and dramatic influx of people over the past decade has resulted in tremendous urban growth and overcrowding. Traffic is congested, and the beeping of horns is virtually constant. And like many places in India, Bangalore is also a world of contrasts -- ornate buildings and magnificent temples dot the landscape, yet right alongside them, garbage and litter line many of the streets. On the roads, luxury cars travel alongside motorcycles, rickshaws, and people pulling carts laden with goods. I’ll be sure to use some of my video footage of life in India on the CD we are developing.

In many of the cities I visited, there is insufficient water sanitation and waste is not properly disposed of. Taking precautions to avoid infectious diseases, such as avoiding drinking water in certain parts, is a must. The CD’s we have already produced, such as Sanitation and What is a Disease, helped to address some of the health concerns in these areas.

At local government schools in Bhopal and Bangalore, most students come from impoverished backgrounds. In all schools, the students demonstrated exceptional studiousness and resilience, paying close attention to their teachers. The formality of their white and blue uniforms matched that of their conduct. Highlights in Bhopal included making a mask with a student named BulBul, who gave me the clearest nonverbal instructions possible for creating a bear mask. I also saw a fantastic science demonstration involving spray cans. I noticed murals at the schools that depicted stories using sequential panels -- for a freelance cartoonist such as myself, this was rare and fascinating sight.

At the last school I visited in Bangalore, I talked with students very intent on sharing what they knew and asking questions about science. I had them ask me some science questions, which I answered to the best of my ability. One student asked a tough one about banana reproduction, and fortunately our translator helped out. One thing I am finding is that in order to be effective, the materials we create have to reflect the environment of the students. A physics problem involving projectile motion should involve a cricket ball --not a golf ball.

A real highlight was a science quiz game that had the kids compete in teams. They had to determine whether hypotheses were correct or incorrect, and they all became intent on the task. These were some of the most focused kids we had seen. They also got into the team score and, unlike many American kids, weren't too discouraged when they lost points (which was rare). Before we could finish the game, it started pouring, and since our room was open to the elements, we had to close up shop. While we waited for rides, we took pictures, gave high-fives, and said goodbyes.

It was thrilling to work with such a great group of kids. I was impressed by how good they were and thrilled at the feedback they were able to give us about the various games we are developing for overseas classrooms.

For more information about EDC programs, please visit www.edc.org. For information on how you can contribute to Passport, please contact the Globe's assistant foreign editor, Kenneth Kaplan, at K_Kaplan@globe.com.