Shikshyalaya: Information and Communication Technology for Distance Education in Rural Areas of Nepal” 

Abstract

Distance learning is basically a technique of teaching and learning remotely without
being in regular face-to-face contact with a teacher and students in the classroom. The
widespread use of computers and the internet technology have made distance learning
easier and faster, and virtual schools and virtual universities have emerged so much that
many deliver full curriculum online today. The capacity of Internet to support voice,
video, text and immersion of new teaching methods made earlier distinct forms of
telephone, video conferencing, radio, television, and text based education redundant
and boring.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can also contribute to universal
access to education, equity in education, the delivery of quality learning, teachers’
professional and personal development and more efficient education management and
administration. There is often a common misconception that ICT- based education is
about teaching students computer skills. ICT- based education is however using
computers and technology as tools to enrich learning in various subjects. While the
teaching methods in the world are taking a dynamic leap, rural areas of Nepal are still
struggling to get access to schools and teachers. Well-educated and well-trained
teachers hesitate to work in those remote areas due to which the education system over
there is lagging behind leaving the students nowhere.
This project therefore aims to act as a bridge to connect the students in remote areas to
a well-trained teacher who might not be staying in the same place as the students. It
aims to enable distance learning in the rural areas of Nepal through the use of ICT and
help the students gain more knowledge from a well-trained educator.