Guruji – Audio Visual Teaching Aid
Guruji is a LED based digital blackboard designed to impart elementary education – basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills in an interesting, playful manner using an audio visual teaching aid.
Why Guruji is needed:
The size of illiterate population in India currently stands at an alarming figure of 2,729 lacs, largest of any nation on earth, according to the recent government census 2011 data. Source: Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2011, Pratham
Status of primary education in rural India is very grim. Even a very high enrollment rate of 96.7% in rural India has not translated into primary education skills among these children:
- More than half of the students enrolled in standard 5th cannot read standard 2nd text
- More than one-third of the students enrolled in standard 8th cannot do a division
- More than two-third of the students enrolled in standard 5th cannot do a division
More than half of the schools failed to comply with the mandated pupil-teacher ratio (PTR), which we believe is one of the major cause of poor status of primary education. The problem is only augmented by inadequate training and qualification of the existing teachers, poor schooling facilities and no support at home from illiterate parents.
Guruji bridges the gap to achieve total literacy
Empowers less trained teachers
Guruji is not a computer. This audio visual teaching aid can be operated easily using a TV-remote like device. Anyone with just elementary education can run a class with Guruji.
Minimum schooling infrastructure
Suitable for rural environment. Doesn’t need continuous internet or even electricity supply. Once charged, it runs on inbuilt battery for 20 hours. Battery chargeable using solar panel.
Effective in achieving adult literacy
Adult illiteracy has direct impact on various social problems like child labour, female infanticide, witchcraft etc. Guruji achieves adult literacy in easy and efficient manner by a very directed content focused on literacy. Literate parents can also support their children at home by connecting with the teaching in the school.
Flexible teaching format
External speaker can be connected for a large audience and inputs can be given via an electronic keyboard.
Benefits of Guruji:
Repetition
Research has proved that repetition of alphabets and words in different forms (audio and visual) is the most effective way to teach. This audio visual teaching device will repeat the lesson 20 or more times as required, ensuring everyone’s participation and go on doing it everyday till the slowest student has learnt the lesson.
Easy to conduct simple tests
Teachers can use the audio visual features effectively to create simple tests – for example, by switching off Guruji’s sound but allowing the visual scrolling of the alphabet, the teacher can ask students to speak out in sync with the moving display. This simple test can be repeated several times till the students get it right.
Makes learning fun
After the students have watched and heard the lesson few times, they will be asked to join in and start speaking out along with Guruji. They are now participating in the lesson and therefore feel interested and motivated.
Available for all India scripts
This audio-visual teaching aid can be used in any part of India. It’s available with scripts and sounds for all Indian languages.
Simplifies script learning
Teaching of script has been further simplified by dividing the script into four logical modules. This division makes the script simple to teach and simple to grasp. Each successive module uses the already learnt module as anchor for learning the new module.
Basic lessons pre-programmed
Teachers will not have to spend time creating lessons. Several lessons for teaching alphabets and numbers are already built-in to Guruji. An easy-to-understand manual helps teachers create new lessons within seconds.