Myriad of Ideas

What is confidence?

2008-07-30T02:26:00.000-07:00

Can self-confidence be acquired? Is it possible for us to transform from shrinking violets to blossoming roses? I came across this phrase many times, when asked as to what personality trait people would like to improve on and the most common answer was self confidence.

Unfortunately, we do not have any magic potion that would instantly give us long lasting self confidence. Confidence deficiency is the inability to survive in social situations and in problems of distress or anxiety. People in such need should consult a mental health professional which is very critical. Lack of self confidence impacts the choices or decisions we make at every walk of life.

We should first understand in true sense what self-esteem and confidence levels are. In what way do they impact on our daily lives? We often mistake them to be the same, but they are two separate distinct characteristics. Self-esteem is typified by deep rooted feelings like are we of value? Are we worthy of happiness and success? On the other hand confidence is one’s own belief or capacity to do things without experiencing fear or hesitation.

From the above meaning, we can infer that both are closely related. It is believed that a person of high self-esteem possess high levels of self-confidence. This may not always be the case though. If a person speaks well and he is chosen to give a speech, though he may be high of self-esteem, he may not be capable of delivering a good speech because of fear of speaking in public and hence is hesitant to use his speaking talent to his advantage.

A serious self-esteem issue generally requires a lot a hard work and time. To improve a person’s self esteem is a challenging task to achieve for those who are committed in doing so. On the other hand one can improve confidence if one posses high self-esteem. We need lot of perseverance and determination to improve confidence levels by initiating simple routine practices to approach challenges.

Confidence requires a lot of practice. We often regard confidence paramount to attitude or skill. We can gain confidence in swimming only when we overcome the fear of taking that first dive in the swimming pool. Whenever we fail, we often bury our heads in the sand for the fear of people insulting us. If we resist this and emerge with confidence that comes from having faced our fears head on, we may be successful. After all failures are the stepping stones of success. Another interesting fact to note here is the internal dialogue. How often did you call yourself a stupid or an idiot? While it may not look so serious, the language we use can have a profound effect on our image. We always need to be conscious of the words we use to describe ourselves. For example, instead of referring yourself as an idiot when you make a mistake, you can always say that "I made a mistake, but that doesn’t mean I am an idiot." This distinction is trivial because it brings in a sense of confidence in our internal dialogue which can be critical.

Confidence is directly linked to self-esteem. What benefits one will definitely benefit the other. By confronting our mistakes without fear we can achieve confidence. Though this may not be an overnight reality a gradual change may be visible and possible.

Bonalu

2008-07-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

Bonalu is celebrated as a festival in honour of Mahakali, the Mother Goddess in Hyderabad and Secunderabad and in suburbs of some Telangana areas. “Bonam” is an offering to the Goddess. The offering is in the form of a meal which is made of rice mixed with milk and sugar, filled with water in two earthen-pots , with small neem branches . The pots are smeared with sacred colours of turmeric and vermilion. The lighted diya is put on the top of two earthern pots i.e the bonam which the females put it on their heads and proceed towards the temple. They go in a procession by drum beaters and men dancing in enjoyment.

This old tradition is being celebrated since the time of the Nizams, who participate in the event.

Bonalu is celebrated in Ashada masam (usually in July/August). Special poojas are performed during this festival.

The festive days sees itself with women decked up in traditional silk sarees, and adorned in jewellery go to the temple to offer the “Bonam”. The female dancers, who are mostly middle aged women, balance pots and dance to the tune of the drums in the praise of the goddess. These dancers are believed to possess the spirit of Mother Goddess, who is believed to be aggressive.

This festival is also called as the Festival of Sacrifice to ward off the evil spirit.

Every group of devotees, collectively offer a Thottela, or a Swing which is made of colourful paper structure erected with sticks as a mark of respect.

Another version from folklore as to why it is celebrated: According to the local people, it is believed that the Goddess comes to her maternal home in Ashada Maasam, so folks bring all sorts of offerings in the form of food to show their love and affection. Just like preparing a special meal when the daughters come home to their maternal house.

A well built man, smeared with turmeric on the entire body, vermilion on the forehead, clad in a red dhoti with bells tied to his ankle dances to the reverberating drums. He is known as Potharaju, who is believed to be the brother of Mother Goddess. He dances, and the procession is taken on to the streets. He initiates the festivities and is followed by female dancers who are believed to possess the spirit of the Goddess.

The localities get the festive look with loud-speakers playing Mother Goddess songs in distinctive Telangana-folk style songs and streets decorated with neem leaves. After the temple offering a non-vegetarian feast is followed in every house.

How are Focus groups different from Usability Testing?

2008-07-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

In today’s fast paced life, people tend to avoid products that frustrate them. Satisfied customers would be ready to buy good products and services. This also helps in word-of-mouth marketing.

Used together, focus groups and usability testing help in building great products and services which are highly desirable, satisfying, fun and easy to use and also worth being recommended to others. However, both, focus groups and usability testing have different focuses and must be used in conjunction with each other. Focus groups and usability testing must never replace each other.

A focus group speaks about the extent of promises that can be made to the customer while usability testing helps shaping the products based on those promises. Usability testing is special as it focuses on eliminating end-user frustration by turning it into satisfaction and pleasure.

This article is a continuation of a series of comparisons of various user research techniques. Here I’ve contrasted focus groups with usability testing.

Focus Groups

Usability Testing

What is the meaning of focus groups?

Focus group is a brain storming session group administered a moderator.

The goal of a focus group is usually to get a variety of broad opinions of what people want a product to do for them along with what will drive the end users to buy the product? This helps the moderator to begin considering the features of the product.

Focus groups are opinion based and their motivation is to find out what the desires and wants of the users are. .

What is the meaning of usability testing?

Usability testing is a one-user-at-a-time testing by users but moderated by a seasoned usability professional.

While the user interacts with the product in a structured manner, the usability professional notes down the stumbling blocks, hits, and reactions of the users while they use the product. This help usability professional to guide product development decisions. The key focus is what will make the end users of the product to learn about and use the product easily.

Usability testing is observation based and tells if or not something works.

What is the output of focus groups?

The output of a focus group is a collection of various opinions, attitudes and preferences of the users.

What is the output of usability testing?

The output of usability testing is observational and behavioural measures based on the ease with which the users handle the products.

When should focus groups be used?

Focus groups are best used in the early stages of product or service development to provide wide-ranging information on opinions and attitudes of the target user group. This is used primarily when important investment decisions are to be made.

Focused on opinions: Focus groups have many voices at the same time, so it is impossible to observe the users in action and record the steps. The moderator can, at best, get opinions about their intended usage With this lack of focus and precision, it only elicits vague opinions.

Consider what to build: The purpose of a focus group is to decide what kind of product to consider building.

Decide Costs: A company uses focus groups to decide the extent of investment of product development. This results in large near term costs in the hope of future profits.

When should usability testing be used?

Usability testing is used throughout the development process to help in finely focused development decisions and it also guides in the realization of the big picture.

During the early development stages, paper-prototype based Formative Usability Testing is used to test ideas, navigation, and task flow.

Post development, Summative Usability Testing is used to benchmark navigation, task flow, measuring user performance, errors, and subjective satisfaction.

Focused on tasks: In usability tests, the users are asked to complete many tasks one after another. The difficulty with which the users complete the task is carefully recorded. This clear focus helps them to get more specific and actionable results.

Making products better: The purpose of a usability test is to improvise the product to make it work better.

Increase profits: The usability test is used to improvise the products resulting directly in cost savings, greater sales, and increased profits.

How many people do I need for a focus group?

Focus groups involve 6-10 people interviewed together in the same location at the same time.

How many people do I need for a usability testing?

Ideally about 5-8 users are tested per sub-group individually with usability professional.

Why does usability research requires only a few users?

Usability research is usually qualitative, or driven by insight (why users don't understand). Qualitative research follows different research rules to quantitative research and it is typical that sample size is low.

The end result of usability testing is not statistical validity per say but verification of insights and assumptions based on behavioral observation - quantitative vs. qualitative.

· We are looking for behavioral based insight, like what people do.

· Statistics tell half the story and often are devoid of context, like why did they fail?.

· Research clearly shows that even with low numbers, you can gain valid data.

· Usability testing is being used industry-wide and has been for past 25 years. Experts, authors and academics put their reputations and credentials behind the methodology.

As mentioned earlier, Usability research is behavior-driven: You observe what people do, not what they say.

In contrast, market research is largely opinion-driven: You ask people what they think and what they think they think. For this, big samples are needed for market research. This is why phone or web surveys require hundreds or thousands of responses.

Behavior-driven research is more predictable. Basically, if 10/15 users are confused you can assume that many more will also be confused as well.

How much would a focus group cost me?

To conduct a focus group, expenses will be incurred on recruiting, incentivising, focus group facilities such as a place where a focus group can be conducted, a place where clients and others can view the proceeding, and audio-video equipment must be readily available.

Also expenses have to be incurred to carefully prepare the focus group protocol and also to analyze the findings.

Focus groups are less expensive when compared to usability testing.

How much would usability testing cost me?

Preparation of testing protocol, hiring a usability lab with one way mirror, recruiting and incentivising people from a target user group, conducting tests one-by-one, and analysis is time consuming and expensive.

Usability testing requires lot more time to plan and organize.

Usability testing is one of the most expensive and most effective usability evaluation methods today.

How long does it take to conduct focus groups?

A focus group involves a detailed protocol scripting and participant recruiting.

However, it is not time consuming when compared to usability testing. Ideally a focus group session should not exceed 1 ½ hours.

For a couple of focus groups involving 14-20 people, Kern would ideally take 2 ½ weeks to recruit, conduct tests, and present analysis.

How long does it take to conduct usability tests?

Usability testing method involves detailed protocol scripting, participant recruiting, and conducting the test one by one, followed by data analysis and report generation, it is a time consuming process.

For a usability testing involving 2 sub-groups (about 16 users), Kern will take about 3 ½ weeks for the entire process.

What are the advantages of focus groups?

Focus group is one way to gather information about a target audience that you have very limited information about.

They help us understand users’ opinion, attitudes, preferences and initial reactions.

Group discussions often spark new ideas. They are excellent if you are looking for multiple and a wide range of opinions, ideas and points of views in a short period.

Focus groups are cheaper and faster to conduct.

What are the advantages of usability testing?

The results of usability testing give a truer picture of the real problems people encounter as they’re derived from observations of real users.

They help us to understand the different behavioural patterns of the users while using the products and services.

Videos of user sessions provide a very powerful persuasion tool for reluctant stakeholders. It’s hard to argue with recordings of people in tears of frustration. Understanding points of frustration usually trigger practical solutions.

What are the disadvantages of focus groups?

The findings do not lead to statistically significant results.

As there are more members, one or two members’ opinions usually dominate others and this does not help in arriving at clear conclusions. Opinions.

What are the disadvantages of Usability testing?

Usability testing is expensive and time consuming.

The validity of test findings depends heavily on identifying the right target group, accuracy of usability testing protocol to recognize key user tasks, and accurate user recruiting.

References:

http://www.macadamian.com/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D54%26Itemid%3D0

http://www.usabilitynews.com/news/article4062.asp

http://jobfunctions.bnet.com/abstract.aspx%3Fdocid%3D242848

http://www.zanzara.com/pdf/UsabilityVsFocus.pdf

Nostalgia- Adilabad

2008-07-07T01:04:00.001-07:00

I get nostalgic whenever I visit Adilabad my native place. The journey is so fascinating that I never miss the opportunity to look out of the window to watch village life which enthralls me. The serene atmosphere, the sweet smelling earth, the village folk, the encircling mountains and the lush green woods and the pollution free atmosphere are so captivating as if I were in a trance. The colours of earth beautifully canvassed on nature are a spectacle to see. I also took a dip in the gushing waterfalls. It’s a great journey for all who love travelling.

History of Adilabad.

Out of the 23 districts in Andhra Pradesh the district which occupies the northern borders of the state is Adilabad. It is around 300 kms from Hyderabad and the journey takes approximately 6-8 hours. It is situated on the National Highway no 7. Its gets a special focus from the perspective of travel and tourism. The three Indian rivers like Godavari, Penganga and Wardha are spread across the state. Adilabad got its name from the ruler of Bijapur, Adil Shah. It was also ruled by the Mughals, Mauryas, Satavahanas and Chalukyas.

It has been influenced by a variety of cultures and customs. As it is on the Maharastra- Andhra Pradesh border, it is a blend of native Telugu and the Marathi cultures. The whole region appears to be a canvass on nature.

Engulfed with mountains and lush green woods, the place is sanctified by blessed souls like Ved Vyas. It is surrounded by gushing waterfalls, refreshing rivers and revitalizing wildlife. It is also known and the City of Cotton. In short , it is a wonderful tourist destination where you can have a lot of adventure.

Please check out these, I’m sure you will be charmed by what you will see here.

Kuntala is a village in Adilabad district in the Andhra Pradesh in India.

Kuntala has the highest waterfalls in the Andhra Pradesh state with a height of 45 meters.

Kuntaala Waterfall is the highest waterfall of Andhra Pradesh. About 32Km from the district centre and 12Km from the village NerediKonda nestled in dense forests is The Kuntaala Waterfall.

According to the popular and prevalent local belief Kuntaala Waterfall got its name after Shakuntala, the beloved wife of King Dushyanth; the pair fell in love with each other and were mesmerized by the scenic beauty of the surroundings. The locals also believe that Shakuntala used to bathe by the waterfall.

Pochera Waterfalls
Pochera Waterfalls presents a striking vista with gushing waters of Godavari River. Sited near National Highway No. 7, the cascade lies about 50 kms from Adilabad. The place attracts numerous tourists and visitors throughout the year. During winters, the falls becomes all the more attractive with heavy water flow.

Pursuit of Happyness!!!

2008-07-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

What does Happiness mean? According to the Wikipedia, Happiness is an emotion associated with feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bliss and intense joy. In this fast paced world people want to be successful by going up to any extent and in this journey they lose the so called happiness. According to Albert Schweitzer: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.” If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. Why do we need happiness? Well I need happiness so that I can remain peaceful, blissful and stay contented in life. What does happiness mean to me? Happiness to me means harmony and peace in life. Here’s what Amy Lowell has to say about happiness.

Happiness: We rarely feel it.
I would buy it, beg it, steal it,
Pay in coins of dripping blood
for this one transcendent good.

We are fortunate enough to get our desires fulfilled. Always be contented with what you have. Get rid of the negative thoughts and believe in yourself. Never underestimate your capabilities. At first I was really embarrassed to post my views on the blog, especially where thousands of people visit .I always had the fear that they would criticize me for what I have written, but now I no longer feel so. With each passing day, the amount of confidence with which I write gives me immense pleasure and happiness. I am fortunate enough to have a bunch of friends who inspire me to write. With so much good around I feel myself proud that there are people who want me to reach skies. And for those who have discouraged me let me tell u something. I have learned to let go things to remain happy.

One cannot borrow, steal, earn or own happiness. It is the experience of living every moment of life with grace, love, respect and gratitude. Don’t leave any room of doubt when you do things. Whenever I do something wrong, it always eats me up until I own up, so one of the best ways is to own up and viola you are happy again. Trust me guys this works. I try to find happiness in everything I do. I feel happy if I help someone, when I am with my family and loved ones, when I play with my doggie, when I get a good feedback from my bosses. Happiness can be summed up in two words: be self sufficient and contented. Never think that Life is too small. Just wake up and spread happiness around. One good deed will lead to many good deeds. “Smile everyday and keep worry at bay” is my mantra. Keep smiling in order to be happy and healthy. At the end I want to say that you need not go in pursuit of happiness. It lies within you. The day when you realize it, I am sure you will conquer the world. So stay happy always and spread happiness where ever you go.

Blogging fever!!!

2008-06-18T03:26:00.000-07:00

Looks like people have caught up with blogging fever. Everybody is busily blogging .I didn’t want to be left behind and joined the bandwagon. But then you must ask me as to what is the in thing in blogging? Well just the way orkut got popularity, blogging is not far behind or shall I say has become so fast paced that it outnumbered orkut or other social networking sites. I read that families keep in touch by blogging regularly; now that’s some news isn’t it. I first should confess that I hardly blogged because I considered myself a very bad writer. Blogs to me means something very personal, where in I can share my good experiences and listen to what others have to say.

I was introduced to the blogging by my bosses, who are so sweet that they give me enough freedom to pursue my passions. I was told about blogs by friends but turned a deaf ear till yesterday, when I really thought that I should blog in order to improve myself not only physically but mentally too. I feel writing reflects the kind of person we are and what a best way to introduce ourselves to new people.

Blogging definitely helps shape personality. Take me for example, till yesterday I never felt like blogging because some or the other obstructions came in my way or let me put in saying that I hardly took interest in blogging. But seeing my fellow colleagues’ blogging regularly, an alarm rang in my heart saying “Why do you want to be left behind?” Just start blogging no matter what. But it looks like I might get addicted to blogging which will help me shape myself better. Blogging helps in total personality development. So for all those who are new to blogging world and haven’t heard of blogging yet my mantra is “Blog everyday to know yourself better”.

What does ‘e’ stand for in e-learning?

2008-06-17T00:59:00.000-07:00

Most of us are aware of the fact that ‘e’ in e-learning stands for electronic. E-learning presents education with a new spectrum of challenges and practices. I completely disagree with the fact that ‘e’ in e-learning solely stands for electronic. I believe that e-learning is technology centered and a hybrid version of education, but then you might question me “If e-learning is merely about technology where does the learner fit in"? Does it mean that e-learning is a technology driven learning where the learner is the passive recipient? I believe that e-learning is something beyond technology. It is a medium to deliver effective learning with the help of technology outside the classroom.

The technology and media act like a helping hand to e-learning to extend learner’s experiences by providing them superior quality learning in ways that suit their lifestyles.

Students who are unable to attend educational institutions can study at home or in workplace by connecting to tutors and resources. Students who are domestically committed can shift their study timings. They can access asynchronous learning sessions to maintain momentum of study along with their peers. E-learning is in a way an extended learning that makes time and place of study more suitable for the individual.

As practitioners we all strive to deliver good quality courses and the quality should reflect in our practices. Owing to versatility, E-learning is capable of acknowledging learning experience. E-Learning can deliver programmes to isolated rural communities, which are beyond reach by transforming lives and enhancing careers.

Gone are the days when we said world is a large place. The world is shrinking as each passing day brings in new technologies that are more advanced and the process of globalization which is rapidly growing. With the help of Multimedia the potential to take the classroom out in the world and this is really turning into a reality.

With the advent of technology, learning is no longer confined to classrooms. “Everywhere learning” is set to transform radical thinking of the way we practice education in the next few years to come.

Cheers to a new beginning!!!

2008-06-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

Though I wrote good compositions in school, I never was interested in writing. I focused more on reading academic books and did a good job in elocutions and debates. You might wonder as to how I got good grades? I used to always learn by heart. I know that’s the worst way of learning but then I was taught that way so couldn’t help much. I always was fascinated by news readers when I was young, so I always read my academic books aloud to ape them. I am good at reading and even my vocabulary is good but then I never put them into writing, so that’s where my “Achilles heel” lies.

I have friends who churn out excellent articles and I am in a way jealous too. I too want to be like them. I got a familiarity feeling whenever I looked at the vocabulary used by my friends in their writings. It is as if things look closer than they appear. Whenever I tried to write I was always discouraged by my friends and family members saying that at my age one should write crisp articles .But then there had to be a beginning and it became the end to all my writing stints. I was very much hurt and felt ashamed to even show them what I wrote. Writing one good article would take me hours. I even tried to maintain a personal diary. One day my brother got hold of it and read all its contents aloud. I was so embarrassed that I immediately stopped writing. I even wrote poems but never got inspiration or encouragement. I really wanted somebody who could boost up my spirits so that I could write better. This went on for many years and now I feel as if I have forgotten to write. This made me accept the fact that I am a bad writer and writing is not my cup of tea.

Whenever someone asked me to write I always got intimidated. Whenever I tried to showcase my writing skills my friends’ discouraged saying writing was not my cup of tea. But I believe that writing is the best way to communicate. It is more concrete and sometimes it is the only mode of communication. I always worked hard to be on a platform shared by my peers and wouldn’t want to stay behind just because I can’t write properly. I won’t be disheartened if you laugh at my blog entry. I would appreciate if you leave your comments and advices. After all, I am a human being and I tend to make mistakes. I believe Failure as the stepping stone of success, so please help me out so that I can also be a successful writer like you all and weave out wonderful articles.

E-learning tools.

2008-05-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

There are lots of assumptions that e-learning takes out the creativity out of you. This may not be the case. There has been a debate off late on the automated nature of the e-learning tools that they are responsible for taking the creativity out of the e-learning process and thus making the course dull. This may or may not be true . The only thing that holds back your creativity is you.

One of the exciting things about e-learning tools is that I have my own independence in creating a course and I am not dependent on others to help me out. The most difficult part in the e-learning development process is giving instructions and working with programmers because they have many time constraints and , whatever good idea we have , we may not be able to implement it properly because we devote ourselves to a specific direction and it is very difficult for us to accept there ideas. This may not be the case with e-learning tools. With the help of these tools we have a lot of scope and flexibility to change our project design. With the help of these skills we can create a very good and engaging e-learning course.

Some of the tips of making an effective e-learning course are:

Using power point presentations: I have been using power point presentations to make my courses effective. Power point presentations not only bring life into the courses but they are visually appealing too.

Creating an engaging and interactive course: Courses should be created in such a way that they are engaging and interactive. Interactive in the sense by adding scenario based examples to make the course more interactive and an engaging course so that the learner may not get deviated from the course.

There has been a rapid change in the e-learning industry. The e-learning tools have made our life easy by enabling us to bring knowledge and skill to learners. With the help of these opportunities one can weave magic into their courses .

81 lions dead in last two years

2008-03-02T23:54:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: A total of 81 lions have died across the country from January 2006 to 2008, with nine of them becoming victims of poaching, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

Fifty two lions died a natural death, 1 because of an accident and 6 due to electrocution while 13 fell in a well and 9 lions died because of poaching in Gir protected area and surrounding habitats of Gujarat.

Out of th 6 lions electrocuted, five of them died in Permpara village, outside the Gir Protected Areas in October 2007.

Investigation shows that a farmer had laid electrified wire fencing his agriculture land to prevent crop damage from wild herbivores, Minister of State for Environment and Forests S Regupathy said.

Answering a separate question on declining population of endangered animals including lions, tigers and elephants, Regupathy said fluctuation in the wildlife population is a natural phenomenon.

As per the information available there are no reports to indicate a continuous sharp decline in the population of endangered species, he said.

The minister said, "census of gharials are conducted on a regular basis and is not done for the first time."

It is very appalling to hear that Lion the 'Pride of Jungle' and one time National Animal of India; now replaced by Tiger; is facing the threat of extinction. Unscrupulous hunting and poaching has resulted in the extinct of this animal in India.What is Indian govt doing about poaching?Man so called rational and a social animal looks to be more a depraved animal who gets a sadistic pleasure in slaughtering such innocent animals. 'Humanity' seems to be word extremely ironical when analyzed in this context wherein our deeds as a human being are unforgivable! We must wake up now before its too late lest this 'Pride of the Jungle' gets converted to classroom subject alone.

Divorce goes Hi-tech

2008-03-02T23:39:00.000-08:00

Read this !!!
This age of time crunch, divorces are also getting a hi-tech avatar.
In the first case of its kind, a judge of Tis Hazari Court in Delhi will hear a divorce case through video-conferencing. The plea was filed by the husband, Vijay Viswanathan, who lives in New Jersey.

Since the case has been filed in Delhi, it’s difficult for Vijay to attend all the hearings. But the big question is, will this new mode of divorce ease off the burden of Indian courts by facilitating a faster decree, or will it make a mockery of the man-woman relationship with its fast track oeuvre?

In courts around the country, there are thousands of divorce cases pending at the moment. Out of these around 20 per cent cases are such in which one party is stationed elsewhere.

The Principal Judge of Family Court, Meera Khadakkar says, “The High Courts and the Supreme Court have accepted this form of recording the statements. It will help those who have a genuine problem and can’t travel to some other city frequently to attend the court proceedings. This mode is here to stay and will turn out to be a time-saving device.”

When a marriage fails and couple decides to part ways, the vibes between husband and wife are at their lowest ebb as negativity reigns supreme.

In such a scenario, it is better that they don’t meet in person, says Preeti Manchanda (name changed), who’s working as an event organiser in the city.

She adds, “Recently, I went through a divorce process and seeing my (then) husband during each hearing was a painful experience. Since I had gone back to my hometown Jabalpur when my marriage started failing, for every hearing I had to come back. I really wish this facility of videoconferencing was introduced earlier. It could have saved me a lot of heartburn.”

Industrialist Vishal Dange (name changed), who went through a divorce recently, feels that this step will help all those middle-class people, who find it difficult to travel to other cities for each court hearing.

“For the elite, distance is not a big deal, especially when there are several flights connecting the various metros. But yes, this hi-tech mode will nail the trouble makers who try to delay the divorce proceedings by not appearing for the hearing and make various excuses. But in this hi-tech process too, the couple must not forget to be sensitive to their child (if there’s any), before parting ways forever.”

Senior High Court lawyer Kumkum Sirpurkar feels that in divorce proceedings, the presence of husband and wife is vital.

“Even after the one year separation and additional six month statutory period, there have been instances when the couples decided to come together when they met during the court hearings. Video-conferencing will not give them that final chance. But yes, when the marriage has broken down completely, then these hi-tech modes will speed up the process,” says she.

Do Games Help In Enhancing Learning Experience?

2008-02-29T07:41:00.000-08:00

I asked this question myself many times. And the answer is ? you bet they work!Games have a high presence in non-formal and informal segments of learning. Unfortunately, in formal education, games are still too seldom seen just as a serious activity.The big challenge is to make your learning objective integral to game play.Once you've done that, you can use games to:

Make learning fun

Liven up your classroom

Motivate your students to learn outside the classroom

Why Use Games to Teach?

Games Engage People Bridging the Digital Generation Divide

Learning from mistakes

What are the features of game based learning(GBL)?
Features of game-based learning (GBL):

GBL uses competitive exercises, either pitting the students against each other or getting them to challenge themselves in order to motivate them to learn better.
Games often have a fantasy element that engages players in a learning activity through a storyline.
In order to create a truly educational game, the instructor needs to make sure that learning the material is essential to scoring and winning.

Categories of games that can be adapted for learning include
Digital Game -Based Learning
Board and Card games.

Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) is emerging as the next generation of e-learning. Organizations are adopting this approach for many reasons: games provide an immersing and engaging way to learn, provide a safe environment in which to fail, and can give learners incremental challenges and control over their progress.

What makes games such a powerful platform for standards training ?
what makes games such a powerful platform for standard training is that they are structured using proven and effective learning.
Take Monopoly for example - Monopoly is played for fun, but it can also be used to teach economics, accounting, or property management.

The learning that comes from these games is informal or implicit. The players don't think about how they are acquiring knowledge or skills - they simply react to the situation at hand.

What makes DGBL great for learning?
Good games are naturally designed with the principles of adult learning in mind, and DGBL is no exception.

Adults need reasons to learn something.

Their motivations are personally and practically based.

They need to know why they are learning something, how it relates to them personally and what they will get out of it.

Adults need to have a sense of autonomy and choice over their learning.

They need help and support but they also need to feel respected and valued.

DGBL addresses adult learner needs in several important ways:
The interactive nature of games enables the player to actively engage with the subject matter. How many times have you sat through a video or a lecture and forgotten most of what was taught?most people will absorb less than 5% of information presented to them if they are just passively listening. However, being actively involved in an activity or exercise increases knowledge retention significantly.

Practical examples are situated in a familiar setting
Situating the game in a realistic setting - a workplace - enables us to use practical and meaningful subject matter examples to which the player can relate.

Practice environments support the building of new knowledge
New knowledge needs to be built on previous knowledge and experience in a supported and incremental way.Just like a building needs to be supported until it can stand on its own, learners need support until they have a sufficient understanding of the subject matter.

DGBL provides incrementally increasing challenges
As we learn new skills, we crave new challenges. Once we've learned to break the code of 'tic-tac-toe', it ceases to be interesting for us. Our games are designed to offer incrementally increasing learning challenges that build on previous experience.

Learners are in control
Adult learners should feel that they have control over their choices. They should be able to play the game wherever and whenever they want to and be able to access the same information in several different modes.Careful design of the game ensures that any choice the player makes will lead to a meaningful learning outcome. This also ensures that the players' learning experience is tailored to their learning needs.

Games make learning more fun
People play games because they are fun, and this feature of DGBL is the key to motivating learners. Adding humour and a touch of suspense and drama to serious games is what makes them come to life.

Games provide a safe environment for learning

•DGBL transcends e-learning because there is no need to fear failure, which can be very intimidating for many adult learners.

Do users really learn what they are supposed to?

Users are constantly evaluated as they progress through a practice environment, and feedback tells them what they did right and where they need to improve.

By using proven pedagogical principles and making the game content accessible and relevant, DGBL aligns what we learn with how we learn.

I can still vividly remember the way our teacher used to help us learn the subject with the help of games. she was actually making us involve in the subject at a very emotional level.

The thrill of breaking rules!

2008-02-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

This is a true incident.
A young man was addicted to smoking cigarettes. He asked for my help."Master please help me to quit smoking. I don't know how i became addicted .please help me".
I asked him " How did you start smoking?" " Master , I never wanted to smoke. In fact I hated that smell," he said. One day, I was talking to my friend on the street. My friend was smoking a cigarette. My father saw this from a distance. He thought I was smoking. When I went home, he started yelling and shouting at me. He did not listen to me. Then I decided, how does it matter if I smoke now? I have already been punished for it. I then started to smoke."
We all get a thrill, a feeling of adventure, satisfaction in doing what we are not allowed to do. When we are not allowed to do something, we feel a strong urge to do it; we feel provoked to do it. We feel a kind of joy and satisfaction in doing it. This is the basic tendency of every human being. When there is a strict rule, we always try to work around it, go beyond it. How many of us drive fast until we see a cop? we say no to our parents to prove that we are now grownups. We think that we become adults only when we say no. Adults have the power and authority to veto anything by saying no. By saying no, we assume that we also have become adults. we feel that as long as we say yes we are only children. we feel that we are not mature. when we say no, we think , we assume that we have become adults. we think that we have become mature. this is the basic tendency of every human being. We feel that we have matured into adulthood, become men or women, simply by saying no to our parents. In western countries that is why theire are so many rebellious groups, gangs and other problems. These people develop a deep satisfaction in and taste for saying no.Saying no is almost like an addiction. When we say no, we try to prove that we are someone special. we feel by saying no we become someone different.
Breaking rules will not make you an adult. To be an adult you need an understanding of what you do and why. Only then, even if you break a rule, will you do it without guilt.