Innovation Journal - Cognizant

REWIRE - iASSESS
learning a social process, by leveraging technologies like the Internet,
cloud and tablet computers.
President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” program aims to mobilize
the business community to improve the quality of science-technologyengineering-math
(STEM) education in the U.S and better prepare
students to lead in the 21st century. Cognizant’s iAssess application
complements this vision by “innovating to educate,” by providing a
single, integrated assessment solution that can be accessed via
multiple platforms. This technology promises to be the new face of
modern education.
This is an interview with Santosh Pingalay Ramesh, Senior Manager at
Cognizant’s Information Media and Entertainment (IME) practice about
iAssess, and what the future has in store for teachers, students and
parents harnessing technology for better education.
Q: What is “smart education?”
Santosh: Just as land was the defining key for agrarian societies, and
capital investment was the key for growing economies, in education, a
crucial determinant of success for the students of this century will be
applying knowledge rather than gathering it. We call this “smarter
education,” and it is right around the corner.
Q: What is technology’s role in providing “smart education?”
Santosh: Six years ago, we could not have imagined that platforms
would exist for people to publicly express and share their thoughts.
But, today platforms like Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the
way people perceive being social. We realized that we could make
Look at the U.S. education market; we are applying smarter and better
education methods using technology. Web-based solutions play a vital
role in learning management systems (LMS) catering to K-12 students.
And everyone, from kids to parents, is embracing the change.
Schedules, classes, reports, progress, extracurricular activities, and
parent networks -- everything is on the Web. Why? Because it’s not
just a change in the system but a whole new channel to educate
people smartly and connect parents, teachers and students.
Finally, we all need “everything on-the-go.” That is how the mind
works today, thanks to smartphones, tablets, high-speed 3G networks,
Wi-Fi hotspots. These are taken for granted. But nobody was
aggregating K-12 STEM learning opportunities onto a comprehensive
and integrated learning experience, available both online and offline for
students, teachers and parents.
One of our clients, a leading educational publishing house, recognized
the potential opportunities of enabling teachers, students and parents
through ubiquitous mobile technologies. Being in the education
business, this client already owned hundreds of educational assets,
including learning management and assessment evaluations available
as Web applications or standalone Windows applications. With these
building blocks already available, all they needed was a smart architect
to design a beautiful building.
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