We are happy to announce that Simulation Explorer, an educational CD-ROM developed by us for Granada Learning, has recently won the British Educational Technology and Training (BETT) Award 2006 for Primary Science.  Designed to introduce children to computer simulations, Simulation Explorer allows children to explore situations that would be difficult or impossible to in practice. It proves especially valuable for real-life activities that are difficult to mimic or take a long time to complete. The exploration aspect encourages children to collaborate with each other, investigate different outcomes, develop discussion skills and progress their high order thinking skills. Please click here to see the demonstration video.

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)

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 ArtSir 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)

It’s the last place one would associate with any sort of creative endeavor—a Nazi concentration camp. And yet, it was in one of those living hells that Prof. Jakow Trachtenberg, a Russian engineer and mathematical genius, came up with his famous—in mathematical circles—system for high-speed mathematical calculations. Condemned to death, the Professor barely escaped with his life, only to be arrested again. Amidst the misery that surrounded him, he found solace in numbers, playing with them, finding patterns, perfecting his system in his mind before he wrote them down—even scraps of paper were a rare luxury. The system deals with a range of mathematical problems—division, multiplication, and squares—that students generally find, well, problematic. (You can view a simple example here .) It is similar to its Eastern counterpart, the Vedic Mathematics system in some of its approaches, and its application in aiding students with Learning Disabilities.  Prof. Trachtenberg, having given the Gestapo the slip, went on to found the Mathematical Institute in Zurich after the war. Today, it is better known among the Swiss as the "School of Genius".  The Trachtenberg system is extensively used in that country in banks, commercial institutions, and tax departments. It can add great value to any course on numerical calculations—after all, the Swiss bankers would know.(Vivek is Manager - Content at Tata Interactive Systems and a graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology)

TIS recently provided Dr. Madhuri Kulkarni of  Sion Hospital with 800 copies of a specially created book titled, "Brain Teasers". As part of the team that worked on this book, it was a very satisfying moment indeed. We created this book ("Brain Teasers"), with inputs from Sion Hospital, to meet the special educational needs of children with learning disabilities. It provides practice in reading, writing and mathematics, and is intended to help children with learning disabilities rediscover the joy of learning. It also helps parents understand learning disabilities and find ways to address them. The book is aimed at students in the age group of 11 years to 13 years and covers all the learning disabilities; Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. The book is a collection of interesting activities intended to engage children with learning disabilities. The activities have been designed keeping in mind the special educational needs of such children. They provide practice in reading, writing and mathematics. The book is divided into two parts: Information on learning disability for parents and activities for children. Our main objective while designing the book was to keep the activities simple and colourful so as to help children rediscover the joy of learning.  We have purposefully incorporate examples from day-to-day activities to aid better recall. We have used simplified illustrations, to help children identify the images. We have used bright colours to provide a fresh look to the entire book. The activities have been graded with three levels of difficulty. The page numbers have been colour coded to depict the levels of difficulty.  Please click here and here for a look inside this book. (Manisha Mohan is Head - Innovation & Design with Tata Interactive Systems)

At TIS our Mission Statement is to change how the world learns. And we recognize the important part we play in the evolution of our industry. We also recognize that we are but one of many innovators in this industry, so we share our ideas and leap frog from the ideas of others. This website caught my eye as I surfed through my latest Newsgator hits on the keyword "elearning." http://www.connectivism.ca/about - its an interesting discussion evolving around a proposed new learning theory entitled connectivism....I especially like the question that has been posed about its relation to social cognitivism. eLearning is changing the way the World learns...no doubt about it! (Dawn Papaila is Consultant - Instructional Design with Tata Interactive Systems.)

Call me a spoil sport, call me a traditionalist desperately holding out against new trends, but terms such as "Speed is King" and "Rapid Creation" in the context of e-learning sends a chill down my spine. To me, speed often means "plain vanilla" and "no jazz" and "no fun", because there is just not enough time or resources to add such elements. I do understand the compelling business requirements that drive Rapid e-Learning. I appreciate the needs of businesses to deliver rapidly-changing information such as the latest product knowledge, competitive intelligence, and corporate initiatives that help employees to respond quickly. We are all living in "future shock" zone and acceleration has become a way of life. But whither fun learning? What about learning that is engaging, interactive and exciting? What about the amazing things that can be done on the (not so anymore) new medium that adds to the learning experience? My angst is that of a learner, not of a developer. When I was 10 years old, my all-consuming passion was to learn Indian classical dance. Fearing that I will waste away with the longing, my parents arranged for an instructor in great haste. She came with excellent credentials—she was a product of one of the premier performing arts institute and had a lot of successful students. The enterprise lasted for a tenuous 18-month period despite my high levels of motivation because the instructor just failed to engage me in the process. In fact, she managed to de-motivate me with her unimaginative, "don’t-ask-questions-because-it’s-the-way-things-are-done" approach. I think both of us heaved a sigh of relief when I dropped out in the end. This has been more-or-less the story of my life. Suffice to say that I was never popular with my teachers. This is perhaps why I am always pushing the envelope when it comes to participative learning experiences. Give me games; give me case studies that I can sink my teeth into; give me "wow" concept diagrams to fix my mental models; give me an exploratory learning experience that sharpens my "aha" moments; give me humor—in short, give me fun! (Priya Thiagarajan is a Senior Instructional Design Consultant at TIS)

Jay Cross recently posted some interesting (and startling) statistics about the impact of what we, in the custom learning design and development business, make a living doing. (Low Hanging Fruit is Tasty) Consider the following blurb (three times - once to allow your amazement to pass; a second time to allow your denial to pass; and a third time to slowly and deeply consider the ramifications, if this is even remotely true): Formal training programs are not the only learning game in town. CLOs who spend the bulk of their time improving the development and delivery of training might be optimizing the insignificant. Consider this: According to Tom Gilbert and Peter Dean, training only accounts for 10.5 percent of the total potential change in worker behavior. Clarity of objectives, working conditions and other factors are more important. According to the Institute for Research on Learning, at most, formal training only accounts for 20 percent of how people learn their jobs. Most workers learn their jobs from observing others, asking questions, trial and error, calling the help desk and other unscheduled, largely independent activities. According to Robert Brinkerhoff and Stephen Gill, people who do attend formal training never apply 80 to 90 percent of what they learn back on the job. They forget the bulk of what they’re exposed to in a matter of days. So, formal training accounts for 20 percent x 20 percent x 10 percent of the possible improvements you can make to worker performance. That’s 0.4 percent. To account for potential double-counting and other quirks, let’s say training might influence 1 percent of worker potential. C-level officers who want the human capacity to thrive over the long haul are looking for more. Now, I'm certainly not lobbying for the end of formal training, but perhaps there is some merit to calling for the end of the *current version of* formal training. With all that is known about HPT/HPI, Simulations, and Story-based Learning, not to mention long-available but minorly-leveraged knowledge about EPSS, why is it that the vast majority of the eLearning work that is done today resemble electrified versions of what was used to teach our great grandparents?  Why are Jay's ideas regarding "informal" and "free-range" learning (for instance) readily accepted in theory, but largely ignored in practice? We can do better (and it doesn't have to mean a loss of business). When will learning professionals, who know in their heart that what their client is asking for isn't going to solve their problem or have the desired impact, feel confident to act on their responsibility/obligation to say as much? When will customers (internal and external) allow the T&D professionals they've hired (again, internal or external) do what they do best, rather forcing them to act as glorified order takers and production shops for knee-jerk/best-guess remedies? It may be a utopian wish that will never arrive, but, as Robert Browning said, "A man's reach should exceed his grasp or what's a heaven for?" (Jon Revelos is Director - Instructional Design, USA with Tata Interactive Systems)

via Learning Circuits: TIS's Chetan Mahajan asks "Are all e-learning projects equally easy to execute offshore?" and goes on to discuss the important considerations for off-shoring e-Learning development. Please click here to read the full article.  

Yesterday I was at an e-learning showcase event in deepest darkest Devon ( I am lucky enough to live in this beautiful part of the UK) organised by LearningPool. Until recently LearningPool were the e-learning arm of the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) but they have been cast adrift to make their own way in the world.  I think this is probably good for LearningPool but I’m not sure why IDeA gave up on e-learning (I guess because they never really got it - most of their high value stuff is face-to-face). There is an interesting quote in the press release regarding the sale however: "The local government sector currently spends in the region of

Recently I was at an event going through the business case for e-learning, and comparing a typical classroom event with an online programme and the following thought struck me: ‘E-learning is the greenest form of learning’. No travelling across the country….spending time in jams….pouring more carbon monoxide into the environment. OK I know that this is pretty obvious, but with the recent Stern Report in the UK maybe it’s time that we took more notice of the green credentials of e-learning.  We are all becoming more aware of the damage we are doing to our environment and it’s time to make our own individual actions count - let’s do a little more learning at our desks, or even better at home (so we even cut out the commute). This ties in nicely with the cool book I bought recently: ‘I Count; Your step-by-step guide to climate bliss’. Buy it and help save the planet….(and do some e-learning too). Links:Stern Key Pointswww.icount.org.uk

What does it take to train 15,000 people, most of whom are on sea, sailing around the world? How would you make a learning management system work on a ship and link with the central system at headquarters? Christian Volkle should know. Chris is Manager - Fleet Training with Holland America Line (HAL) and was in India recently, visiting us at Tata Interactive Systems. Chris was a sailor for many many years before he moved on to his current managerial role. And surprisingly, for someone who has visited about 140 countries, this was his first visit to India. We caught up with Chris for a brief chat on the training challenges at HAL and their plans around eLearning on their ships. The entire chat is available as a podcast, ~10 minutes. Download the mp3 to listen to it in a player of your choice or simply use the player below. Here are some of the key points Chris made.  The training audience of HAL includes more than 15,000 employees from 68 nationalities, with educational levels ranging from 3rd grade to a PhD or even multiple PhDs. HAL is perhaps the first company in the world to link their Learning Management Systems in their ships to the main office through satellite communication systems. HAL took a strategic look at training and devised a training plan that focused on three long-term initiatives: o Move as much of their training as possible to eLearning. o Install and implement a Learning Management System. o Have a specially built wired and connected training room in each ship.  Mobile Learning is an area that Chris would look at closely in the future.  HAL has a Kid’s Club on their ships, which addresses the entertainment requirements of kids on cruises with their parents. HAL is looking at computer-based educational entertainment products for Kid’s Club. And here are some photographs, from (and one fantastic one of) the different ships that HAL operate. Please click on the thumbnails for an expanded view.

The departure of Donald Rumsfeld after the recent Republician US election disaster led to the Guardian to review some of his ‘insights’ - here is my favourite: "The message is that there are no knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know." It’s easy to see why KM is so hard to do - especially in the US Department of Defence!

Here is November’s Big Question from Learning Circuits: Are our models (ISD, ADDIE, HPT, etc.) relevant in the future? The question does not stop there. The LC blog follows it up with "Are ISD/ADDIE/HPT relevant in a world of rapid elearning, faster time-to-performance, and informal learning?" Although Learning Circuits must have seen both these question together as defining one problem statement, I see two distinct questions here.  Let me respond to the "first question" first. The relevance of a model depends on how you use it rather than when you use it (past, present, and future). In this case, the question seems to imply that the models in question are traditional (ISD, ADDIE, HPT, etc.). However, the use of brackets, the addition of "etc." and the absence of the word "traditional" or "conventional" makes the question open to interpretation—which is not a bad thing.  "Our models" are somewhat like this question. A model by its very definition is generic; it acquires specificity only in local contexts. So, if one is to assume that ADDIE is top-down, behavioristic, and ID driven, then it will appear to be so. On the other hand, if a few learners decide to use the process elements of ADDIE to design learning for their own use in a Second Life kind of platform, the application of this model takes on a completely different perspective.  Therefore, the problem lies not with the models, but in how we approach them and what we take out of them. We should be able to appropriate models, not just apply them literally or reject them outright. By appropriating a model, we make it relevant to us and to our times.The second question, on the other hand, assumes that the future of learning lies in rapid e-learning and informal learning. And this "future" seems to be arguing for a shift in the ownership of content creation. Who is the best person to generate content? Is it the learner (Learning 2.0), the instructional designer (Learning 1.0), or the SME (LCMS)? Should content generation be top-down, self-directed, or collaborative? Such questions most often lead us toward tautologies and not toward answers. Moreover, no content is born out of nowhere; most types of content are extensions of or responses to already existing content. If we need answers, we might have to ask the following questions: What kind of learning experiences will help me sharpen my perspectives, take the right  decisions, and do the right things? Where and how can I find, create, and participate in these experiences? How should I organize these experiences so that I’m able to make meaningful associations?  I’m not arguing that these questions are unambiguous—"right decisions," "right things," and "meaningful associations" are all ambiguous words in the absence of a defined criteria. The point I’m trying to make is this: Learning is linked to memory, retention, application, critical thinking, and creativity. And if adapting certain processes or ways of organizing content can lead to a learning experience that aids long-term retention or provides deeper insights, then there is nothing wrong in using a model that suits the purpose. Give me the discursive content of a Google search and the conversations of a blog, but don’t deny me the effectiveness of a well-designed learning program. And models like ISD, if used creatively, can help produce highly effective learning programs. Let the future of learning be not defined by platforms (Web 2.0 or otherwise) but by the rigor of thought and the boldness of assumptions—supported by research, empirical evidence, and lived experiences. (Anil Mammen heads the content & instructional design specialist group at Tata Interactive.)

We recently celebrated the festival of lights and we would like to share some snapshots with you. Please click here to view the photo album.

At TATA Interactive Systems, we have taken up the issue of Learning Disabilities (LD) as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility. We chose this area because it is congruent to our skills and capabilities in learning design and development. The three areas of LD that we are focusing on are Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia. In this respect, we support the Learning Disability Clinic in Sion Hospital through financial grants, development of learning materials for both students and special needs educators, and administrative support. Moreover, we have also authored a book, Brain Teasers, comprising fun activities for children with LD. This book has been published by Tata McGraw-Hill.  The latest initiative that we have taken up is the TATA Interactive Learning Disability Forum (TLDF). The TLDF is an international symposium on LD. The event offers a platform for leading educators and LD experts from across the world to network and share innovations and ideas to help address critical LD issues.  This event is the first of its kind in India and one of our key objectives is to increase awareness and promote remedial activities, best practices, and knowledge sharing of LD in India —we believe this is a gap that needs filling. We plan to hold this event annually from now on. Please click here for detailed information about this event.

NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) is currently big business. And it’s being applied to more and more areas of our working lives - just check out the latest NLP book titles on Amazon. Some people I know swear by NLP. Consultants and coaches are particularly keen on employing NLP techniques and they are being applied in a wide range of disciplines from sales training to education. I’m not an expert on NLP - I’ve just read a couple of books and articles on the subject but I can see its attraction - meta models, chunking and re-framing are all so ‘obvious’ once you sign-up to the concept, and are great for adding to your repertoire of management speak. But the following article in a recent edition of Education Guardian sounded a note of caution: "..proto-science of NLP. A system devised by a Californian. Learning styles are cobblers. There is no proof that children have such preferences. They are of use only in describing styles of input, not in terms of describing a child’s hard wired bias for one style over the other." Philip Beadle, Education Guardian 3 Oct 2006 The NLP entry on Wikipedia is substantial and ultimately quite complex, and peppered with warnings about lack of objectivity (and sometimes likened to astrology). So beware NLP lovers, don’t overestimate the power of proto-science. Having said that, I do like the insights that NLP gives us and as a working hypothesis it appears to provide some useful tools for working with people in a variety of contexts. I’m also keen to investigate the application of NLP to learning more closely (keeping in mind of course the warning from Philip Beadle). Talking of proto-science another really interesting take on all this pseusdo-science is at Bad Science.

(John Gibbs, Instructional Design Consultant with TIS describes the proceedings at the annual TATA Interactive Learning Forum which was held at 2 locations this year) The TATA Interactive Learning Forum innovated this year by using a participative approach to engage the audiences, which totaled more than 100 for the two events, Sept. 28 and 29 at the UN Millennium Plaza in New York and Oct. 2 and 3 at the Allstate headquarters in Chicago. On the second day of each event, teams competed to achieve the highest stock price for a fictitious company using the "General Management II" TopSim module, manipulating pricing, hiring, advertising, and production variables. In New York, the education track featured speakers from Western Governors University, McGraw-Hill, Boston University, and Axia College. Corporate presenters represented Learning Tree, Telstra, and Staples.  Carol Silk of New York Presbyterian Hospital described an accelerated training roll-out to learners with limited English and computer skills using proctors to assist learners with computer basics. Gary Dickelman of EPSS Central gave the keynote presentation on "Performance Centered Design in the 21st Century, and Chris Proulx of eCornell adressed "Aligning Corporate Learning and Higher Education." The single track at the Chicago event included presentations by representatives of Allstate, Holland America, Northwest Airlines and Motorola. Dave Vance of Caterpillar University delivered the keynote on "Best Practices in Alignment and Measurement." Steve Smith and Lynn Misselt of Northwest Airlines described their approach to rapid task analysis. Joje DiDonato told how Countrywide accelerates time to proficiency in IT skills using a 20/30/50 model—20 percent classroom training, 30 percent through out-of-class technologies, and 50 percent via performance support systems. Chicago participants debated what constitutes "informal learning." Podcasts may be received by learners as informal media, yet considerable design and production expertise may go into creating them.

What’s a corporate blog for if we can’t talk about our own achievements once in a while? We are delighted that we have won the Performance Centered Design Award 2006 given by EPSScentral LLC. The award was presented at the Training Solutions Conference & Expo at Denver, Colorado. "These extraordinary PCD solutions and tools foster business improvement and human performance by immediately establishing goals, supporting users through best practices, facilitating the proper flow of work, minimizing translation and providing immediate access to supporting content at the time of need," said EPSScentral's CEO, Gary Dickelman, who is also teaches Performance Centered Design (PCD) at George Mason and Boise State Universities' Graduate School of Education and Engineering in the U.S. This award is particularly important for us, considering our focus on Electronic Performance Support Systems - it makes us believe that we are on the right track as far as the quality of our design is concerned. As Saurabh Mittal, who runs the operations of our EPSS Practice said, "TIS helps organizations improve their productivity, reduce turnaround times, and achieve consistent best practice performance from all employees. Our EPSS provides on the job, context relevant knowledge support and tools to improve performance execution. It is an integrated online support system, which guides employees at every step of complex operations, enabling them to take appropriate decisions. This ensures consistency in decision-making, improved productivity, and lower training costs." So if you are looking at improving the performance of your employees, you know which company to contact.

It’s nearly been a year of having our corporate blog up and I would like to pause momentarily and share some thoughts on this initiative with you.  When we started out we were pretty clear on what we wanted to achieve. We wanted to enable you to have a clearer and deeper insight into our world. We wanted you to see how we worked, celebrated, met challenges and innovated. And most of all we wanted you to talk to us, to engage us in dialogue, bringing forth newer insights and thoughts. How successful have we been? I think we have got off to a good start. As expected, members of our Instructional Design group were first off the mark in posting their thoughts and engaging others within the broader worldwide ID and eLearning community. We have also received some very positive feedback for our photo albums capturing life@TIS, from people considering TIS as a potential employer. I think this is because from the outside, an organization often appears impregnable and this is one of the boundaries that we have been successful in lowering. We are constantly working to involve more folks here at TIS and digging deeper into our various groups and departments to try and bring new perspectives, opinions and thoughts to the surface using the blog as a common platform. It’s fantastic to see people post and have responses come in from around the world and see a dialogue start to take shape. A big thank you to everybody who have sent in comments, emails and helpful tips from time to time. Stay plugged in! (Ankush Gupta manages our corporate blog and drives blogging efforts across TIS; he is a blog evangelist and is passionate about using technology to bring people together and facilitating meaningful dialogue)

iPodWizard is a program that allows you to change the graphics, font and strings on all iPod models with screen. iPodWizard (iPW) is a program for Microsoft Windows that allows you to change the fonts on your iPod as well as perform miscellaneous tweaks. The program is safe and simple to use, and is completely free. 

If you downloaded the latest version of Internet Explorer, you may have noticed that your fonts now look different. In fact, the default setting for font display is now ‘cleartype’. Fonts look smoother and not as crisp, as this is supposed to bring more clarity to your text on the screen and make the fonts that [...]

Click here to view pictures from this event. It was unexpected for many reasons. Neither the speaker nor his topic was on the agenda. In a symposium dominated by speakers with striking backgrounds — neurologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, principals of world renowned special needs schools, vice-presidents of international associations — to delay a planned session and invite an "unknown" to speak out of turn was something of an oddity. Ashok Kurien was introduced simply as India's Richard Branson. That did arouse a murmur of interest and even as everyone wondered what this white-haired individual had in common with the English entrepreneur, he began to speak. Ashok Kurien talked of his days as a child, how he had struggled in school, failing numerous exams. The school kept him merely because he was an excellent athlete. Inside the classroom he was the object of derision. He could hardly even spell correctly. His mother who headed a department at a university whipped him and called him slow. As did his teachers. When he went on to college more insults were heaped on him. He dropped out. His mother refused to talk to him and they didn't exchange words for over 45 years. Kurien took up a job in the villages of India, flying small planes to spray fields with insecticide. Five years later he headed back to the city and enrolled in a college again. This time, he persevered to finish his graduation and joined an ad agency. Though his colleagues ridiculed him, his clients loved him for his creative input. Seven years later, with less than Rs. 5,000 in his bank account, he started his own ad agency. Ambience was a big success and was eventually bought by the French agency Publicis, who retained Kurien as the managing director. He went on to become one of the founding directors of India's first independent media company, Zee. He also established India's first privately owned lottery, Playwin and started DishTV, India's first Direct-to-Home TV service. Today he is worth thousands of crores. Like Branson, Ashok Kurien achieved success despite his dyslexia. And he achieved it in a society that ill-treated him and refused to accept his problem. The over 250 strong gathering at the first TATA Interactive Learning Disability Forum (TLDF) applauded Ashok Kurien all the way back to his seat. His unplanned, simple and inspired speech was one of the many highlights of the TLDF, held in Mumbai on 30 November and 1 December 2006.In organizing the TLDF, Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) was aiming to increase awareness and promote remedial activities, best practices, and knowledge sharing of LD in India. TIS also hoped that the TLDF would encourage networking and sharing of ideas and innovations, eventually helping address critical LD issues. The invitees comprised a mix of people from various fields concerned with LD, from pediatricians to psychiatrists, to instructional designers and special needs educators, to parents of children with learning difficulties. Attendees were treated to a variety of interesting talks, covering several important areas of LD — biology, psychosocial and educational interventions, government policies — by experts from various fields. Dr. Gerald Erenberg, Child Neurologist, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, US, expounded on The Biological Basis of Learning Disabilities in his well-received keynote address. Dr. Erenberg traced how our understanding of the biological basis of LD has improved over the years and expressed hope that with new research and better scientific tools we would soon be able to understand and control the primary biological causes of LD. Dr. Erenberg also addressed the symposium on ADHD — Its Role in Leading to Learning Difficulties and Medication/Remedial in which he advocated the three-pronged approach of medication, education, and psychosocial intervention to help a person with ADHD successfully integrate with society. Dr. Madhuri Kulkarni, Professor and Head of Pediatrics, Sion Hospital, India, in her talk The Learning Disabilities Movement in India — Where We Are, brought the audience up-to-date on the history of the LD movement in India — from its beginnings to the landmark judgment of the Mumbai High Court in 2006 that made it easier for LD children to study in mainstream schools. She also outlined the challenges faced by the LD movement in India: little awareness of LD related issues, lack of remedial centers in all schools, and few standardized psychological and educational tests in Indian languages to identify children with LD. Lalitha Ramanujan, the Founder Director of Alpha to Omega Learning Center, India, took the audience through the different Types of LD — Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and ADHD. In a talk peppered with anecdotes about her experience of bringing up a child with LD and her work with LD children at her learning center, Ramanujan stressed on how remedial action for LD children was the best way to help them work around their difficulties. Glenys Heap, Senior Training Principal with Dyslexia Action, UK, in her talk, Remedial Techniques an Overview, spoke of practical techniques like cursive handwriting and synthetic phonics, to help LD children. She made a strong case for structured multi-sensory learning that works best for LD children by reinforcing links between sound and symbols. Patricia Barthorpe, a Special Education Needs Consultant, UK, addressed the audience twice during the symposium. In Maths and Learning Problems in Maths, she outlined the use of innovative techniques like getting the LD students to tell a mathematical story and helping them discern patterns in numbers and figures to help them overcome Dyscalculia. Speaking on LD in Adolescent and Adult Life — Career Choices, she elucidated on how developing the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills of LD children helps them lead fruitful lives as adults. With the push for equal opportunities at work, people with LD are now able to find an occupation more in tune with today's networked economy instead of traditional unskilled jobs. Karen Dakin, Vice-President of the International Dyslexia Association, did a Review of Multi-tiered Instruction Model for Reading Disabilities, Assessments, and Intervention Techniques for the Classroom and described the three-tiered education approach followed in some classrooms in the U.S. Karen also addressed the audience on the Orton-Gillingham Therapy for Dyslexia explaining the basis of the therapy and how the therapy teaches phonological awareness, morphology, and semantics through a direct approach and diagnostic teaching. Dr. Sardesai, who works with the Government of India in Education and Child Health, while talking on How the Government Can Help, outlined how the Government is reaching out to students with LD through its Sarva Shikshan Abhiyaan using the guidelines provided by the High Court of Mumbai. She also pointed out that sensitizing the teachers and school principals, training subject teachers to recognize LD, and organizing remedial teaching were big challenges and that the government as yet had no effective ways of tackling them. Dr. Smita Desai, Special Educator and Psychiatrist, Drishti, India, tackled a problem peculiar to India, Vernacular Languages and LD. India's multi-lingual ethos require assessments and interventions to be administered in numerous languages and stressed the need to develop a standard indigenous assessment portfolio. In his talk on Social and Emotional Aspects in the Learning Disabled, Dr. Kersi Chavda noted that feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and loneliness result in higher than normal incidence of depression and suicide in kids with LD. There were also talks by Jean Salt who spoke on Inclusive Education — Every Teacher is a Teacher of an LD Student, highlighting the inclusive education policy followed in the U.K. Anita Guha described how IBM included people with special needs in its workforce while speaking on Career Opportunities for People with Disabilities. She pointed out that it is necessary to position diversity and inclusivity not only as something to "help" a special group but also as a policy that helps an organization deliver better value to its clients and the society. The symposium also featured a couple of short films on the issue of LD. Laura Cryer from SEN & Inclusion Publisher, Semerc, Granada Learning, UK, while talking on Supporting People with Learning Disabilities Using Information Technology demonstrated some e-learning products that helped LD students. A separate medical track featured talks by Dr. Nandini Mundkur from Bangalore Children's Hospital (Medical Aspects of LD), Dr. Madhuri Kulkarni (Procedures of Assessment), and Dr. Sunil Karande, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Sion Hospital (Case Studies of LD). Two panel discussions, one each at the end of every day, analyzed some aspects of LD. Dr. Smita Desai chaired a discussion that had Kate Currawala (Maharastra Dyslexia Association), Laura Cryer, Manisha Mohan (from TIS), and Achama Matthew (CEO, Bombay Cambridge Schools), analyzing Technology and Teaching in LD. The discussion concluded that technology, especially computers, being non-judgmental and fast, could be a great tool for LD children to practice their lessons and by giving them the control, could also empower. The Way Forward was chaired by Kate Currawala. Dr. Madhuri Kulkarni felt increasing centers and people testing for LD were the areas to focus on. Rukhsana Kolhapurwalla, felt that a move away from rote learning to understanding, in India’s schools would benefit LD children. Mr. Sanjaya Sharma, CEO of TIS, pointed out that while experts could tell what needed to be done, TIS can make it happen by bringing its project management approach to the challenge. The TLDF ended on that practical note. Judging by the reactions of the audience and the speakers, the TLDF seemed to be quite a success. Glenys Heap felt that the TLDF was "A great experience, a wonderful opportunity to meet with other specialists from all over the world." Dr. Gerald Erenberg pointed out that the "well planned list of topics and top notch presenters" ensured that the TLDF was well received. Patricia Barthorpe pointed out that while it was a good first attempt, TIS needs to build on this each year. This is just the beginning and TIS intends to make the TLDF an annual feature. The TIS team that organized and attended the TLDF is already thinking of ways to realize Mr. Sharma’s vision. Going by the TIS' record of bettering performances each year and the promise shown by the first TLDF, the second symposium will definitely be worth the wait. And you never know, Richard Branson, might be the surprise speaker next year. (Mandar Talvekar is a Senior Instructional Designer at Tata Interactive)

It's the beginning of another month! Time for another The Big Question. November's Question got passions raging and great conversation with real substance whose embers are still glowing as more comments still are flowing in. While we had fewer participating posts this month (21 registered and 10+ thus far found that didn't register with us), the level and depth of the conversations were much