IIT-B's 'masti' curriculum to learn computers
Mumbai: Learning how to use computers is going to be a lot of fun for school students, thanks to an innovative curriculum developed at IIT-Bombay. An extensive 4-year research by IIT professor Sridhar Iyer and his team from the department of Computer Science & Engineering has revealed that the best way to teach computers is through fun-filled activities.
Accordingly, IIT-Bombay, in collaboration with InOpen Technologies, a software development firm, has put together a unique learning initiative, called “Computer Masti”, for teaching computers in schools. The start-up was recently incubated at IIT-Bombay’s Society of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Sine). The aim is to equip students to be self-learners. “None of the books or the curricula we looked at during our research focused on long-term learning skills of the children, nor on building their thinking capabilities. Computers are a good tool for improving logical thinking abilities of the children, and that can help in other areas like science and maths. So, it’s a life-skill, which is also required at higher engineering levels,” said Iyer.
The course consists of a series of books which deviate from rote learning and instead focus on teaching concepts through interactive (indoor and outdoor) activities and games.
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