DataWind,makers of low-cost ‘Aakash’ tablet, has announced today that they have entered into partnership with US based not-for-profit education content provider CK12 to provide Indian customers great high quality free math and science material that can be used by teachers, students, schools and parents. Through this agreement, CK-12 will come pre-installed on most DataWind devices so users will have access to high quality math and science learning material for free.
DataWind CEO – Suneet Singh Tuli said, “Our aim is to enable and equip every student in India with implements of learning that spawn interest in higher academic achievement – in this case the tablet PC, but the hardware itself is not enough to serve the purpose of empowerment. Rich, free, interactive, referential and engaging educational content is an imperative for their success. As tablets are revolutionizing learning globally, this intersection of an affordable tablet with CK-12 content allows Datawind customers an opportunity to learn anywhere, anytime.
The rise of low cost web access and mobile computing devices such as Aakash and UbiSlates and the growing practice of referencing the internet for every small detail or project, Indian education systems have reached an inflection point to leverage technology in education to cater to the always on and more informed student/digital consumer. Low cost mobile and computing devices will play a critical role in this digital learning transformation.
“Access to high quality education for primary and secondary schools shouldn’t be limited. At CK-12 we provide the content that can be accessed anytime, anywhere to improve learning” says Neeru Khosla, Executive Director of CK-12 Foundation. Because Datawind devices are affordable, partnering with Datawind allows CK-12 to achieve this mission and afford the opportunity for everyone to learn at his or her own pace. Being digital this content can always stay up-to-date unlike traditional printed material. With hundreds of thousands of teachers using CK-12 in US, India and around the world, CK-12 has taken into account specific teacher and student needs and created an end-to-end platform that can be used in schools and independently by parents. CK-12 has been pioneering the creation, curation and delivery of open educational content in US for more than 6 years.
DataWind, along with CK-12,today is uniquely positioned to fill in the gap to service the learning and teaching community cutting across the spectrum with the right combination of affordable tablets and best-in-class content.
