Tata Interactive Systems

Eternal Gandhi - A Multi-Media Exposition

What does the name Gandhi conjure up for generation Next? 

A faint recollection from faded history books...or perhaps the face on the greenbacks that provides us with spending power...or even India's happy relatives from a certain central European nation? 

I would have voted for one of these before I saw the light at the Eternal Gandhi multi-media exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA). It is a uniquely innovative attempt and "first of its kind" digital take on the Mahatma's life and work. Cutting edge technological magic has been used to weave a vivid tapestry in which you are not a distant observer but are part of the living fabric design. 

From the moment you step into the exposition hall, you are immersed into a fascinating dialogue on the life and times of the Mahatma. That's all very well you may say. How is all this relevant to me as a part of TIS? What will I gain from a visit to this technological marvel? Here is what you will gain: 

• A starting point for innovative presentation of well-known content (Compare a films division documentary with the Eternal Gandhi)
• A peep into the future of learning technology
• An understanding of flow and design that is learner-driven rather than instructor-driven
• The "WOW" factor - Ideas that can be easily interwoven into TIS' eLearning projects 

I am sure you will come up with thousands of other ideas. Go on! Make your day!! Grab a few friends and visit the Eternal Gandhi. 

Venue:

National Gallery of Modern Art
Sir Cowasji Jahangir Public Hall,
Mahatma Gandhi Road,
Near Regal Cinema, Colaba,
Mumbai - 400 032

Timings: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Monday Closed 

(Shardul is an Instructional Design Consultant at Tata Interactive Systems)

Vedic Math: An Alternative Way Of Learning

Probably the world is made up of two kinds of people—those who love Math and those who hate it. 

Long before computers and programs like TIS’s award-winning Jojo in Numberland, in about 1500 BC, Indian mathematicians came up with a system that eased the pain of learning Math. Today, Vedic Math is probably not so famous as the other Indian contribution to mathematics—the concept of zero. It was, however, saved from total obscurity, largely due to the publication of Vedic Mathematics by Sri Bharati Krsna. What the system boils down to is a set of sixteen sutras (aphorisms or, more literally, tricks) that deal with every conceivable mathematical problem—from basic arithmetic to complex polynomials—that a student encounters.

This has huge implications for curriculum designers of Math courseware and special-needs education for learning disabilities like dyscalculia — imagine compressing a typical ten-year Math course into one page of sixteen simple rules of thumb.

One of these sutras—the rather innocuously named ‘vertical and diagonal’ rule—facilitates the mental multiplication of any two numbers. The thought of multiplying, e.g., 54643345 by 67598793, without a calculator would daunt the best among us, and doing it without putting pen to paper seems quite out of the question. In fact, with a bit of practice, it is child’s play as this little demonstration  shows—and it takes all of five minutes to learn how it’s done.

Apparently, on average, we only use 2% of our brainpower; Einstein reportedly used 5%, though I haven’t a clue how anyone could calculate that. The point is that learning is a step in evolution, and technology should facilitate the better use of one’s faculties. Whether we use it as a crutch that we can’t do without, or a tool to sharpen our skills—that is the question.

(Vivek is Manager – Content at Tata Interactive Systems and a graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology)