Role of SAGE in Facilitating Education Transformation

Background With the start of the new decade, Intel Education in India is focusing on the next paradigm shift that includes Intel’s proven, adaptable, and robust models for education transformation. Intel intends to support the Government’s goal and vision for Education Transformation across 5 identified verticals, namely, Policy, Curriculum & Assessment, Professional Development, ICT, and Research and Evaluation.

There are few areas where Intel can drive and some it can facilitate and others only advice upon. It was important to create appropriate vicinity to mull over Intel activities towards education transformation and even more critical was the careful choice of people to work together in that vicinity in a strategic group. Working towards this need of good strategic planning making and making intelligent impact possible, Intel Education in India established the ‘Strategic Advocacy Group on Education (SAGE)’ in April 2011 consisting of eminent educationists, educational administrators and professionals. The SAGE has been the result of an evolutionary process built on existing practices and learning faced in the early phase of Intel Teach Program in India. In the early years Intel had constituted a National Core Committee (NCC) which was more an informal body working as Research Task Force. The National Core Committee (NCC) recognized the critical role of teachers in improving the quality of education. It supported and it also influenced the agenda for ICT integration and Education Transformation in the country. SAGE is its natural successor and comprises of highly recognized experts and leaders from government, education apex bodies and institutes. It has a strategic role for identifying new and emerging innovation trends in education and technology, as well as for research efforts in Intel Education initiatives.

The SAGE members drawing on the collective wisdom, wide range of experiences and deliberations with various stakeholders and community, will seek to connect government, various apex institutes, colleges, other educational institutes and stakeholders on policy matters and implementation strategies on matters concerning education especially in optimizing the potential of ICTs for achieving quality educational provisions. The Group intends to make systematic and coordinated efforts towards education transformation by providing leadership and direction to the critical issues in education transformation; link them to global good practices and suggest appropriate interventions. Apart from this strategic role at the operational level the SAGE group would encourage innovations and facilitate links, undertake research and development activities and disseminate through appropriate forum good practices and latest knowledge and skills all aimed at maximizing the potential of new technologies and pedagogical approaches for achieving quality education.

Vision/Mission The SAGE will:-

Increase visible participation in the response to education and technology needs; in partnership/collaboration with government, government apex bodies, NGOs, local educational institutes, and other stakeholders.

Drive research as an advocacy tool; share knowledge; communicate information and ideas; in order to develop evidence-based policies and programs.

Advocate for the recognition of technology mediated education.

Advocate for the development of Intel education networks; unite and mobilize; build and strengthen capacity.

Work Plan The SAGE will follow an annual Work plan which will list activities to be implemented during the year. The work plan will be consistent with objectives of INTEL and the SAGE and will include advocacy and representational activities as appropriate when they arise. All activities undertaken by SAGE will have appropriate principles built into the structure of activities, so that clear outcome can be assessed with maximum benefit. Long-term Plan

As mentioned earlier SAGE will offer its services in all the five areas listed above but would be more directly engaged in research, curriculum enrichment materials, policy analysis, alliance and capacity building including linking and networking and working collaboratively with various stakeholders ensuring coherence in the areas of work. The agenda of the Ministry of HRD, UGC, NCTE and NCERT on Inclusion, Equality and Excellence and the progressive changes in assessment practices (CCE) along with INTELs core objectives in supporting these agencies and initiatives will become the base for SAGE to chart out conceptual and strategic frameworks and to formulate operational strategies and develop action plans.

It is, therefore, expected that

1) The breadth and depth of SAGE insights around shared and changing goals will increase common platforms for education transformation.

2) Coordination and communication mechanisms will be strengthened, leading to better orchestrated and timed interventions.

3) Group activities/Coalitions will develop and implement focused strategic plans, leading to appreciably increased awareness of educational issues, and ultimately to greater impact on policy outcomes, locally, regionally as well as nationally.

4) Altered objectives will reflect a well-informed strategy for engaging with major national or regional processes or actors that impact on the national educational policy and programs context.

5) Focus on Research and work out a broad framework for conducting researches including supporting internships of M.Ed., M.Phil and Ph.D students. This would serve both the capacity building of the existing professionals and improve the quality and quantity of human resources in the sector.

Short-term Plan

1. Interact more often either F2F or online through webinars to take the initiatives/plans forward and to update on new curriculum resources developed by Intel.

2. Facilitate and advocate alignment of Intel’s curriculums with National Curriculum Frameworks of NCTE and NCERT.

3. Disseminate research reports, studies, success stories, best practices as well as published papers among all the beneficiaries and associates of Intel.

4. Share, contribute and advocate policy interventions that have been done in India and outside India on education in general and teacher education in particular.

5. Share and contribute to various initiatives coordinated/facilitated/supported by INTEL such as the UNESCO ICT Policy Toolkit and Evaluation and other such initiatives

6. Brain Storm on Education Transformation initiative- through focus groups, offline and online forum, participating, organizing and facilitating workshops and conferences with support from INTEL.

7. Advice and suggest Intel in developing their strategies, implementation plans and on appropriate interventions and areas especially in integration of ICTs in education for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of education delivery.

Formation of advisory and working committees including other support groups within the SAGE may be considered in an advanced stage in order to assist in representation, advocacy and other strategic activities.

Members of SAGE: New members:

Prof Anita Priyadarshini, Director DEP SSA, IGNOU Dr Anjlee Prakash, CEO Learning Links Foundation Dr D. R. Goel, HOD CASE Baroda Dr. JH Pancholi, Dean, Bhavnagar Unviersity Dr. K Rama, Senior Advisor NAAC Dr. Kuldeep Agarwal, Director Academics, NIOS Dr Latha Pillai, Pro VC IGNOU Prof. Louis Vernal, Dean Department of Education, Principal GVM College, Goa Dr. Meera Balachandran, Ex Principal Ramjas School Prof. PT Manoharan, Head Raman Chair School of Sciences, IGNOU Prof. Ramesh Ghanta, Dean Faculty of Education, Kakatiya University Prof. Sanjeev Sonawane, Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Pune Dr. TKS Laxmi, Ex Dean Banathali Dr. Veera Gupta, Secretary CBSE Prof V Sudhakar Dean CIFL Mr. Ashutosh Chadha, Director- Corporate Affairs Group, Intel South Asia Ms. Shweta Khurana, Manager Education K12, Corporate Affairs Group, Intel South Asia Ms Nisha Dua, Senior Manager Education, Learning Links Foundation