1.

Introduction
1.1 Background of the study

The adoption of smart classrooms in India is driven by the need to improve the standard of
education in the country and enable it to be on par with the global education standards. Smart
classrooms charge investment for the buy of hardware and software products. End-users
comprises of schools, colleges, universities, and contrasting institutions that toil professional and
vocational courses. Smart classrooms consider eke out a living videos and pictures making
classrooms more interactive and learning more enjoyable. In this terrain, students have facility to
study materials even after perpetual piece of action hours in school. Students convenience is
further highlighted by use of online libraries at their will. Competitive exams in India are further
as conducted at the hand of online platforms. Smart classrooms are transforming the way
education was imparted by integrating information technology in its portfolio. However, conflict
to critical point along by all unquestionable infrastructure challenges are creating issues in the
accustom to feign the technology. The analysts conclude the Smart Classroom market is growing
very fast in India and would be in range of around compound annual growth rate of 15.89
percent till 2019. With 1.4 million schools in our country, the addressable business is very much
possible with 200000 odd private/unaided schools in the country. Even if a school takes a setup
for 10 smart classrooms which would replicate into a business of around 2000000 digital
classrooms demand pointing towards huge business opportunity. Along with this some of State
governments in India are also changing the way the education being imparted in government
schools with introduction of smart classrooms in their respective states. One such example is the

tie up between TataclassedgeGovernment of Kashmir for 100 such schools. The smart classroom
is now seen as a tool to bring global education standard in India.
Under Governments Digital India Initiative Aims to Overhaul Indias Education System
scheme the proposal is approved to allocate R500 crore ($81.38 million) for digitization of the
classroom in the Union Budget itself give a flip up to the overall growth prospects in India.
Along with this there is potential to do business with 650 universities, both public and private
where digital content and requirement of information of figure tips is immensely required and
this market could be worth couple of Billion Dollars. With only 10% of penetration being done
in these schools till date, the potential is huge.
Several companies have entered partnerships and created world-class digital basic material, 3D
videos and conceivable the worlds marvelous interactive virtual lab software to its stockpile of
carefree for teachers. The modules are imprisoned in a template allowing the teachers to train a
chosen event illustrating a hazard in piece of action, envision by frame. Some of the smart
classroom players in Indian market are listed below.
Company

Brand

Mexus Education

IKEN

HCL Infosystems

DigiSchool

Pearson/Edurite

DigiClass

Educomp

Educlass

Next Education
Tata

TeachNext
Interactive

Systems/TataClassedge

Tata Classedge
Server-Based

Educomp

Smartclass

Source: Morgan Stanley Research

Explosion of lifestyle is opening polished branches of knowledge. Nowadays we have entered

directed toward wisdom nation from habit society. ICT has displaced the all aspects of human
being. Way of living is being changed and thus role of society as well as school is also is shifting
from conventional class room to ICT oriented smart classroom further more to virtual classroom.
Innovative apparatus and technical devices are mushrooming on daily basis; hence a teacher
nowadays cannot live isolated. So in order to cope up with ever changing technological oriented
teaching and teaching one has to upgrade and teach with all modern facilities which are
available.
Smart class is todays demand; it does not mean do away with traditional approach of teaching.
Rather it seeks to provide a balance by clubbing the use of technology while imparting teaching
learning experience. The essential merchandise is a harmonious consolidate of the novel and
the traditional.For instance, the teacher while teaching a lesson on solar system will supplement
the information given in books by showing a video of how a solar system actually works or how
the formation of mountains happened or how the heart functions and behave through a video and
other interactive tools available in smart classrooms. As we are incipient in polished era of
progress technology with Petascale computing, huge bandwidth of data transmission, big data
storage devices, data computerized information and the next copulation of digital world, its a
need of hour to have more technology based class rooms which subside all the traditional way of
teachings and making the process of teaching and learning easy and smart. By making students
and teachers a witness of next generation of high computing and urbane digital devices the Smart
and capable classroom will ratiocinate the teaching process agile, cost effective, forward and
eco-friendly. With the bolster of cross recognition (voice, facial, lip reaction and rivet the eyes on
tracking) the digital classroom system will efficiently help by taking its own decision during the
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lectures. Enhanced speech technology would bolster the satellite in converting the question into
language vice versa. The teachers can soon use their gesture, speech or pointing devices while
writing on the smart boards and this will be possible with use of intelligent tools and techniques.
Smart and effective teaching environment, will ratiocinate students and teachers to secure quality
of information more abruptly, simple and perfectly.
Over the years, technology has proved to be a big factor in improving the quality of instruction
by helping in delivering better teaching learning experience. However, effective use of
technology to enhance the quality of teaching is a challenging issue.
Technology can be used to improve the quality of teaching in many ways. For example, it can
improve the interactions between the instructor and the students, or in-group collaboration
among the students.

In the context of global policy, global society and global economy, each and every country is
seriously thinking of heightening the degree of quality in system of education. Globalization has
permitted technical progress in communication field which enables users to access and exchange
information at any time and from any place in the world. Technology plays a vital role in
education. In todays competitive world the child needs the skill sets, which are beyond subject
knowledge and require concentration, assimilation power and retention. In this regard the role of
smart class is quite important.

Trends
The rapid and ever changing technology in education is creating both opportunities and
challenges for schools. The opportunities include ensuring high end connectivity, multimedia
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cheerful, real time evaluation, online excess of knowledge that was not otherwise possible.
Further technology in education is heling in expanding role of social networking tools for
information and professional knowledge, and the growing success in the capacity of digital
games preferably for personalized learning.

At the same time lot of challenges are thrown which need to counter early to reap the benefit of
digital technology. Challenges in shape of infrastructure of the schools and also the demand to
upgrade the workforce needs individual development plans. Some schools have been efficient by
adapting to new technological changes, at the same time others are falling by a wide margin
behind, creating a digital dissent based on quality of educational technology, rather than just
simple access to the Internet.
The agile evolution of educational technologies further makes it regularly challenging to verify
what works best. Longitudinal research (studying individuals at diverse stages in their lives,
where one group is studied over many years) that takes year to established the relevancy of the
technology. Well before any research could be done on product like iPad effectiveness in
education, it was already popular in school after it was released.

A recent trend shows that companies are moving towards tier 2 and tier 3 cities to sell their
digital classroom products. On one hand the schools in tier 2 and tier 3 wants to give same level
of teaching learning environment as provided by tier 1 cities and on the other hand the parents
also ready to pay little extra if the schools are providing good teaching learning experience at par
with tier 1 cities. This was further supported by Mr. Rajesh (Marketing Head: Tataclassedge)
5

views on how their company is focusing of tapping tier 2 and tier 3 cities for growth. With only
10% of total market of approx. 200000 schools being covered pan India, the opportunity is big
for everybody and soon it would be a Billion-dollar industry.

Challenges
The industry is evolving and this has thrown lot of challenges from physical to psychological
barriers.

Resistance to change: Resistance to technology comes in many forms, teachers see the
technology as one which challenging their existence and relevance in the system and constantly
see technological experimentation as beyond their job descriptions.

Lack of scanning done before integration: As the education technology is ever evolving and
the selecting the appropriate technology as per the infrastructure and need by the school is not
done at the time of integration has led creation of environment where schools have either stopped
the use of technology or using in a very limited way. Need for adequate research to be done
while implementing the technology is need of the hour.

Professional development: Teachers need to be trained effectively to handle the technology and
integrate it with their daily teaching.

Providing Adequate Technology Access: Its a big challenge for school to ensure that the
teachers get to use the technology for adequate time to ensure any effectiveness in teaching
learning environment. By just getting few lectures every week on smart classroom will prove to
be a hinder in use of technology. This could be due to budgetary constraints of school.

Involving Majority of Teachers: Along with placing technology in classrooms, it is important

that teachers also make use of the system. Research need to be done to identify the appropriate
motivators ensuring usage of technology by majority of the teachers.

Providing Technical Support for Technology Use and Maintenance: Even after teachers'
initial doubt of getting involved with technology has been revive, there is need to have somebody
who can work/assist the teacher to ensure that technology is used with disruptions in the
premises. A technical support is required in this regard. Again the schools need to release the
need to technical resource to ensure the smooth functioning of smart classrooms in the school
premises.

2. Review of Literature
2.1 Review of Literature

Meyer and Rowan(1991) court that the employment of institutionalizing technologies in the
organization for concrete illustration has acquire a tale, as technologies burn up the road to be
factory made procedures as a substitute than sensible practices. This has also effected the use of
technology in the classroom premises due to preconceived notion that technology using is more
or less technical thing and does not help in increasing the efficiency. Technologies being used in
the set up are more associated with the teachers who are equipped to handle the technology.
School administrators constantly create a division surrounded by those who are like a one-man
band, and those who are not experienced to didst the job technology in their instruction. This
differentiation between those who handle and those who do not manage technology in their
classroom is from day to day propagated by the noise that those who teach by the whole of
technology somehow are transcend at spreading the word than those who do not. Thus this
dichotomous organizational arrangement reinforces physical progress instructor, adherent and
other perceptions that technology hinders education, rather than enhances it.

Meyer and Rowan (1991) status, a dominant theory of institutionalism deals by all of the
increased entanglement of communal relations and exertion course of study guerdon to
technology use. Within this clear as dishwater internal fling of muscle division, Meyer and
Rowan 1991) court that inauguration and implementation of rules by the same token plays a
pertinent role in legitimizing institutionalism. This inter dependency on rules has solidified the
insight that a profitable halls of knowledge runs amply when greater rules are implemented. An
obstinate institution by the time mentioned, through the authors, is such that is most zoned by
well-structured rules whatever is determined by belief to rebound outcomes based on the death
warrant and from that day forward of those implemented rules. How this reserved
8

institutionalized hector system applies to progress is documented in the California English and
Language Arts living the life of riley standards, as they are drafted in doubt of must-do and
must-follow requirements to act as a witness proper and capable education. However, when it
comes to workout charge, it is this steadfast institutionalization of instructional rules that has
obligated it necessarily impossible to support fluid and self-supported instructional recital
technology to be up to one ears in in the classroom. The evaluate of reading technology in the
classroom allows students to function independently or in close to the ground groups, mean
allowing the trainer to roam everywhere and end more pat on head to struggling readers.

Tyack and Cuban (1995) advocate that at the hand of the law of the jungle of development,
schools have followed what they have doing for years. He stated that teachers have make to
commemorate that routines and carved in stone institutional forms are easier to follow than
technology based methodologies of instructing and learning. Teachers and students avoid certain
tight customs that interpret school. When an adherent spends years in the classroom for several
ages following the same old methodology, it becomes preferably difficult adapt to new ways of
learning. Also it becomes difficult for teachers to heed change in the process they update after
spending large numbers of hours in preparing and then delivering to the adherent.

Skinner, 2005 and Skinner, 1957. The study says that behaviorists as per the theory of
reinforcement believe that stages/process of learning starts with stimuli followed by adherent
response followed by reinforcement. They uphold, nevertheless, on observation. Study done by
them shows that the base to recognize the need is the behavior of child in the classroom. This

behavior forms the base for identifying the need among students, ways and means to deliver the
instructions. So their study was not much related in recognizing the role of cognitive or mental
processes.

Lightbown and Spada, 2006. Study done by skinner was supported by Lightbown and Spada
also.
Lightbown and Spada, 2006 and Jordan, 2008. They focused on preferably importantly,
information and acquisition can be achieved by replica, drills and exercises. On the core of this,
one can translate that both book discipline and acquisition by adherent is just a processes of
imitating what teachers display in the classroom. Put it another process, teachers here originally
are doing everything; learners are imitating the models they have been provided with. Even in
choice of word acquisition or languages they follow me and my shadow approach and develop
accordingly. In all theorists embrace behaviors of others and develop the theories
accordingly.Non satisfactory approach used under behaviorist model led to recognition of
cognitive power of human brain or mind as described by Swiss epistemologist and psychologist
Piaget and Vygotsky in late half of 20th century.

De, (2009)study focuses use of open and free software usage called as FOSS can frisk a
tremendous advancement in education,

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Scherer (2010) in his study focuses and stressed that after a decade or more in providing the
exceptional ways to hold students to express or learn, the focus or arrangement is required on
refocusing on helping students put or read to learn.

Shagoury, (2010: 64) focuses in his design on emphasizing of phonics proposition without
embedding it in the framework of genuine reading. He emphasis that the phonics instructional
design which starts in early years of schooling continues till today despite it being not correct as
suggested by research. He further adds that teaching decoding in early year of learning lead in
distorting the reading comprehension and making students just parrots of text.

Tovani (2010) continues by stating that having competitive or reasonable expectations and
providing scaffolding by the whole of strategic instructioncan help.

Iyer, Srikant (2015) COO of Pearson Education Services, sees full weight in the smaller cities.
Pearson has devised a monthly payment epitome under which a school on an average pays US$2
per student monthlymaking more affordable in purchasing the smart classroom solution. He
further on the basis of research done said that there would be greater scope and potential in tier
two and tier three towns and cities. The scope of penetration is good and confidence for adoption
of technology is also high.

11

Ralhan, Beas (2015). CEO, NextEducation said that Digital Technology adoption is happening
at learner and school level. Schools have adopted some form of digital solutions from time to
time but these were mostly stand-alone solution which resulted in looking for exhaustive
solutions across spectrum relish labs, digital classroom and assessments and there is a chance
more. On the self-learning front, it is further at a nascent stage due to more school involvement
of the child (typical student reaches home only at 2:30pm) and around reliance on the
neighborhood tuition centers. However, there is a wish to have germane evaluation of the fellow
by parents to uphold him in areas of improvement. The beautiful trendsetters in this category are
in working order to be more personalized information tools, based on steep level of evaluation.

3. Justification of proposal

Technology has an appeal to many involved in education. Even the simplest uses of technology
in and out of the classroom, have dramatically changed how information is gathered, processed,
and transmitted; changing in its path the concept and idea of what a school really is. The market
on the other hand is evolving day by day and its putting lot of pressure on the consumer buying
decision. New and better formats of educational products are coming day by day in the market
and each one is influencing or fulfilling one or other part of product selection and requirement.
India is in very nascent stage of the digital revolution/Smart classroom which is changing the
way the education market performs. Its been observed that customers/owners of the premises
who are purchasing these costly educational products land up in a very precarious position
because the obligation they have to bear while signing the long-term contracts with the education
solution companies. No real facts and figures are available as how to select the best education
12

solution by the consumer (Owners of the premises) based on his needs and wants. There is gap
being identified in form mismatch of product being taken by the owners of the institutions
premises and miss selling of product by the companies to their owners of the institute. The
products which are available are not customized as per the needs of the consumer, which is
evident from the data that about 25-30% of the owners/consumers are not happy with the
services and the product which they bought. This is very much evident from fact that the
companies like educomm are losing their market share to new age companies like Tataclassedge
and Extra Marks. Since the industry is growing at annual growth rate of 18-20% as CAG report,
there is requirement to identify what exactly these institutes are looking in educational solution.
This will lead to identifying the buying behavior of the consumer.
On the other their Gap in understanding of the real consumer (Using the product) i.e. the
teachers/professors inputs while selecting the best product for their premises/schools
childrens.This also point out the problem of satisfaction level of consumer while buying smartclassroom for the 1st time and with the existing vender of Smart -classroom operational in their
schools

Meyer and Rowan (1991) propose that the function of institutionalizing technologies in the
organization for example has become a myth, as technologies turn to be technical procedures
rather than efficient practices. It is perhaps this reliance on a legitimizing effect rather than the
needs of the child that also plays an important role in preventing instructional technologies to
enter the classroom. Technologies in school are often seen as a fad, or a niche among the most
technically inclined teachers. School administrators often create a division between those who
are able, and those who are not able to implement technology in their instruction.

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So there is gap in understanding what exactly is the requirement of the school teachers and the
aspiration of owners of the premises.
Further the studies have been undertaken by Chander, Prakash (2013), was an attempt to define
effect of smart classroom on the academic achievement. But again, it was carried out in regard
too particular one subject, so again there is gap or need to explore the relationship between smart
classrooms and academic achievement based on instructional technology.
With millions of dollars being put into the business of Smart-classroom and with ever increasing
the size of this industry, there is definitive requirement to understand the consumer of these
technologies in a better way. Although few studies have been done on global scale but still need
to be tried and tested in Indian setup. This study will have some inputs to identify the problems
in the area under discussion. Further the research conducted in the state of Punjab and J&K is
very minimal. Moreover, the study is supposed to provide valuable information to companies and
consumers to take appropriate decision while selling, adopting and implementing smart
education solutions in the area under discussion. Finally, it will add knowledge and will provide
baseline information to other researchers in the area of consumer buying behavior while
selecting an appropriate smart- technology in education premises.
The scope of proposed work will be confined to the owners of the private schools premises,
teachers of these premises, students studying in these institutes and companies providing smartclassroom with specific reference to Tataclassedge in the areas of Punjab and J&K.

4. Aims/Objectives and Hypothesis

4.1 Objectives of the Study

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1. To study and identify the factors affecting the adoption and deployment of Smartclassrooms technology in the school premises.
2. To study the socio-economic factors affecting buying behavior of consumer in Education
technology.
3. To study the impact of smart class room learning environment on academic achievement.
4. To study the marketing and selling practices employed by Smart classroom provider
companies.
5. To study the Instructors attitude towards use of multimedia in classroom for instructions.

4.2 Research Hypothesis

Ho1: There is no significant difference in the buying behavior of owners of Private School
with regard to smart-classroom deployment in their respective institutions.
Ho2 : There is no significant difference between the academic achievement who got and who
did not get instructions in smart-classroom learning environment.
Ho3: There is no significant difference in the marketing and selling strategies of different
smart-classroom provider companies.
Ho4 : Infrastructure have no significant impact on usage of smart-classroom technology in
the school premises.
Ho5: Perception of instructor have no significant impact on usage of multimedia in school
premises.

5. Research Methodology and Plan of work

5.1 Research Design

15

The study will use the descriptive research design in particular and also
experimental research for specific objectives. The objective such as effect of
smart-classroom on learning environment will be studied using experimental
research design for establishing cause and effect relationship. The study will
employ a quantitative approach for data collection and analysis method.

5.2 Population of Study

The

population

under

will

comprises

of

all

the

schools

where

Tataclassedgesmartclassrooms are deployed in Punjab and J&K state. These are 50

in number. Further for purpose of checking the effectiveness of Smart classroom in
academic achievement of primary students of these schools will form the
population. These will form approx. 10000 students.

5.3 Sampling Method

The study will be conducted using probability sampling design methods.

5.4 Sample Size Determination

As per the research conducted in the past, the sample size of 25 schools were found to be
appropriate. This sample size is further divided into 15 schools from Punjab and 10 schools from
J&K. As per the studies already undertaken on an average 40 students per school were taken for
study. Under this study I will be collecting data from 25 schools. 25 employees of various smartclassroom provider vendors will be taken. In total 25 owners along with 10 teachers from each
school and 200 students.
16

So, total it would be 200 students, 250 teachers, 25 school owners/management and 25
employees.

5.5 Measurement Instruments

In this study questionnaires will be used as measurement instrument of the research. For
measuring the performance of smart-classroom on students academic achievement Pre-Post test
will be employed.

5.6 Sources and Data Collection Methods

5.6.1

Sources of Data

This study will make use of both primary and secondary sources to generate relevant data on the
subject under investigation. In the primary source of data, raw data will be collected directly
from the respondents. This will be done through administering structured questionnaire.
Secondary data will be obtained from existing literature including journals,books, thesis,
newspapers, magazines, official reports, internet and others.

5.6.2

Methods of Data Collection

For this study, primary data will be collected through the use of structured questionnaire whereas
secondary data will be obtained through a review of previous research findings and existing
literature on each study variable. Since the instruments to be used in this study are adapted from
17

previous researches on the subject, their validity and reliability are ascertained. However, a pilot
test on the questionnaire will be done in order to examine their accuracy in context of this study.

5.7 Method of Data Analysis

Analysis of the data will be done using statistical methods or techniques such as descriptive
statistics and inferential statistics. Depending on the nature of the stated objectives and the
proposed hypotheses, different advanced statistical techniques such as ANOVA, t-test,
Regression and others will be used for analysis in addition to the descriptive statistical tools.

6. Chapters Scheme
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Review of literature
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
Chapter 4:Analysis 1 : Analysis and Presentation
Chapter 5 : Analysis 2 : Results and Discussion
Chapter 6 : Summary of Findings, Conclusion and Recommendation.

7. Work already Done

The research has been done on a limited scale till date as far as India is concerned. Research
on academic effectiveness of Smart classroom have been conducted in one of the schools in
18

Ludhiana. Worldwide no. of researches have been done on adoption and implementation of
smart classroom in school premises along with consumer buying behavior about buying of
technology in school premises.
8. References/Bibliography/Literature Cited

Allitt, Patrick (2005), Professors, Stop Your Microchips, The Chronicle of Higher Education,
Washington: Jun 24, Vol. 51, Iss. 42; p. B.38.

Brzycki, Dolores, and Kurt Dudt (2005), Overcoming Barriers to Technology Use in Teacher
Preparation Programs, Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. Norfolk: Vol. 13, Iss. 4; pp.
619-632.

Leeds Elike M (2007), Impact of digital Video on communication skills in business

education,Dissertation Abstracts InternationalVol.68 no-3 September, pg no 968-A

MatchwaresScreenCorder/Mediator/OpenMind (www.MatchWare.com)

Martin, Florence; Klein, James 2008 Effects of Objectives, Practices, and, Review in Multimedia
Instruction. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 17(2):171-189

Markett, C., Snchez, I., A., Weber, S., and Tangney, B. (2006). "Using short message service to
encourage interactivity in the classroom." Computers & Education, 46(3): 280-293.

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Messick, S., (1976). Individuality and learning. JosseyBass.Volume 2 No. 8, August 2012 ISSN
2223-4985

Murphy, Cathy (2002), ABCs of Smart Classrooms, Campus Technology, September 9,

http://www.campus-technology.com/article.asp?id=6704

National Council Educational Research & Training, National Curriculum Framework-2005, New
Delhi

Oblinger, D. (2003). Boomers, Gen-Xers & Millennials: Understanding the New Students
(http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0342.pdf)

Ozcan, Timucin and Erika Matulich (2004), Diffusion of Teaching Innovations: The Adoption Of
Online Course Management Software,College Teaching and Learning Conference (Article 410,
electronic proceedings).

Osafehinti, N. (1990). Effects of video and audio rolling graph among students inachievement
and retention in the understanding of schistosomiasis. Unpublished,Ph.D. Thesis, University of
Nigeria Nsukka.

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Skipton, Charles and Erika Matulich (March 2005), Classroom Instructional Technology:
Options for Securing Equipment,Journal of College Teaching and Learning, Volume2, Number 3,
pp. 57-66.

Schacter, J. (1999). The impact of educational technology on student achievement;whatthe most

current research has to say. Retrieved April 5, 2013 from the MilkenExchange on Educational
Technology Website:www.mff.org/pubs/ME161.pdf.

Turning Technologies (www.TurningTechnologies.com)

Young, Jeffrey R. (2005), When Good Technology Means Bad Teaching, The Chronicle of
Higher Education,Washington: Nov 12, 2004. Vol. 51, Iss. 12; p. A.31.

Wilkson (1974), leading and learning: developing ecologies of educational practice Charles Sturt
University, School of Education, WaggaWagga, NSW

http://www.education.nic.in/cd50years/g/z/9I/0Z9I0I01.htm

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