Using Technology to Unlock New Academic Potential

Education is the most important asset to a country and its citizens but providing access to education is just the start. Rukmini Foundation has worked with one of its partner schools, Shikharapur Community School (Shikharapur), to create new ways of classroom instruction that engage, challenge, and inspire students. Shikharapur, located in the center of Pharping, Nepal, has provided accessible and affordable quality education to students and community members for over 30 years, and has always been open to creative ways to educate. In 2013, Rukmini Foundation piloted using Khan Academy videos to teach English, Math and Science in an eighth grade class. We recently held the first Khan Academy classroom session for the new 2015- 16 school year.

Shikharapur Community School 8th grade class consisting of 27 students. Khan Academy videos were first introduced in this school in 2013.

Khan Academy classroom videos is just one of the many unique learning opportunities at Shikharapur. The school offers novel Project-Based Learning (PBL) classes for students in sixth through ninth grades, reading and literacy classes for students in fourth and fifth grades, vocational study, computer classes, and arts, cultural, and athletic programs. The wide range of programs and resources offered is attest to the school’s innovative approach to education and commitment to academic excellence and global citizenship.

Students learning math supplemented with Khan Academy videos in class. This was a novel way of learning and teaching in Nepal.

Shikharapur’s initiatives has revolutionized education in Pharping and given students access to subjects and programs they would not have known about otherwise. Although the Khan Academy website has a wide reach with over 3.5 million visitors each day, barriers in access to technology and electricity prevent students in rural Nepal from learning from its vast collection of videos. Our goal is to make sure students gain exposure to quality resources in spite of challenges in infrastructure, location, and socioeconomic background.

Ms. Manisha K.C. taught the very first class featuring Khan Academy videos two years ago, and just last week, it was her third time integrating Khan Academy videos into the Shikharapur curriculum for an eighth grade math class. Since the pilot program, she has improvised her way of teaching and her use of Khan Academy videos after gauging students’ participation, comfort, and their feedback. Rather than replacing teaching with Khan Academy lessons, Ms. Manisha uses the videos as supplemental material.

Khan Academy videos kept students actively engaged throughout the 45-minute math class and included practice problem activities.

The Khan Academy videos enhance students’ understanding of math concepts and kept them actively engaged by changing the pace of classroom instruction. This mixed learning-style presentation enables all students to participate in class and makes sure there are mathematics resources for all types of learners (audio, visual, hands-on). We are proud to work with Shikharapur, and introduce novel learning tools and technology to improve education and increase exposure to the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in Pharping.

Nepal needs more students pursuing STEM fields and the only way this is possible is if students are aware of the endless possibilities they can achieve by studying these subjects. We are thankful to staff and teachers like Ms. Manisha who inspire students and cultivate future local and global Nepali leaders. For more information on Shikharapur Community School, please visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ShikharapurSchool.

Harinee