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CII Shiksha aims to bring education equity by providing various technology tools to schools, free of cost. It has created an eight-component model to deliver the program and to ensure a meaningful impact on schools' teaching/learning process. CII/Shiksha has also partnered with various like-minded organizations to bringing more tools in to the schools and providing them with a creative and collaborative platform for teaching and learning.

Shiksha aims to bring education equity by providing various technology tools to schools, free of cost. It works with all categories of schools—government, private, NGO schools—and facilitates the process of shifting from IT (information technology) to ET (educational technology).

CII/Shiksha has created an eight-component model to deliver the program and to ensure a meaningful impact on schools' teaching/learning process. Schools participate by way of three components: computers, connectivity, and commitment. CII/Shiksha provides content, coaching, and communication to the program. The outcome of the mutual contribution is two components, creativity and collaboration.

The prime criterion for selection of an associate school is the willingness of the school to ensure smooth implementation of the Shiksha program and appropriate usage of various components provided through the program.

Continuous monitoring, periodic evaluation, and thorough assessment are three major postimplementation thrust areas of the Shiksha program.

The process of effective technology integration in schools requires addressing various issues. Shiksha does a gap analysis of each school to identify the issues requiring intervention and then provides assistance through its various components to ensure effective technology integration in the school.

The explanation of the components provided by Shiksha is as follows:

Shiksha believes that in order to promote computer-based learning in India, installing well-equipped computer labs in the school is not sufficient. It is essential to provide content that gives direction to the learning of computer skills and enables children to understand curriculum-based concepts more clearly.

The content component comprises

• Academic content developed by Shiksha
  
• Computer literacy content developed by Shiksha
  
• Freeware software
  
• Open source software
  
• Shared content of various schools

Coaching comprises

• Orientation programs for principals, headmasters, management
  
• Basic training for teachers
  
• Advanced training for teachers

Communication comprises

• A newsletter carrying coverage on Shiksha school
  
• A Web site
  
• Workshops
  

CII/Shiksha has reached out to about 650 schools all across India and is assisting them in integrating technology effectively in their teaching/learning process. CII/Shiksha has also partnered with various like-minded organizations to bringing more tools in to the schools and providing them with a creative and collaborative platform for teaching and learning.

For more information please send email to iac@cii-usa.org.