People’s Bank introduces trilingual e-learning software kit for children
Saturday, 25 January 2014 00:01
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By Sarah Hannan
As a bank which strives to create programs to ensure a healthy future for the children of Sri Lanka People’s Bank recently launched a program to hand out an e-learning software kit along with its Isuru Udana children’s savings account.
The launch of the productive software for children within the age group of 3-8 was held at the People’s Bank Staff Training College Auditorium this week which was attended by the staff of People’s Bank and a selected group of young account holders and their parents.
“This is a historic moment in child education in Sri Lanka as we introduce the first ever trilingual e-learning software for kids. The product known as Isuru Udana Padam Sellam is a double DVD kit which will be given as a gift for our existing Isuru Udana customers or a newly opened Isuru Udana account up on making a deposit of over Rs. 2,500. This education kit was designed under the guidance of the education department and considering the psychological aspects of a child in the age range,” welcoming the guests at the event Head of Marketing and Public Affairs Deepal Abeysekera said.
The software pack includes: a 3D animated computer game that enables the child to learn the alphabets of Sinhala, Tamil and English and create words – Akuru Dupatah, interactive educational program designed to encourage self-learning and self-experimenting through entertaining activities recommended for primary education in pre-schools and an educational jigsaw puzzle that educates the child about the historic sites, heritage sites, great personalities and the wonder of the natural world. Designed specifically for nursery students who need to learn and practice their writing skills, the software pack will also enable students of any age to gain knowledge and change attitudes. Created to nurture a love for learning among children Isuru Udana Padam Sellam was presented with the E Swabhimani award for the all island best educational software pack.
Deputy General Manager Retail Banking Renuka Jayasinghe further elaborating on the software stated that People’s Bank has always focused on the development of the younger generation and have presented thoughtful gifts for the kids’ accounts. “Padam Sellam was developed taking many aspects in to consideration. The educational kit not only focuses on learning to write the letters but also guide them through the process of identifying the letters and developing their pre-writing skills as kids. The software was developed with the emerging technologies in mind and unlike our younger days, the children of this age are more interested in the newest technology and the use of computers. Padam Sellam will allow your child to learn all three languages in a pleasant and comfortable environment. Moreover all the activities are very interactive as children would enjoy their learning experience”.
Sanhinda, the developing team behind the educational kit, had worked on the project for over a year and demonstrated the audience on how to use the software. The spokesperson for Sanhinda explained that the two DVDs are labelled Isuru I and Isuru II.
“Isuru I DVD can be played on a regular DVD player and the program can be followed on your TV and can be navigated using a remote control. Isuru II includes a program file that can be installed in a computer and can be then used as a regular application and the navigations can be done using the mouse. I must particularly thank the staff at People’s Bank who provided a lot of constructive feedback while developing the software and today we are glad to present this useful educational kit.”
Having been involved in child centric programs through performing arts the University of Colombo Senior Lecturer Dr. Chandana Aluthge sharing his views on the educational software said that: “This is very useful software which allows the child to familiarise with the things in their surroundings while educating them about nature, history and language. The best feature on this kit is that parents can refresh their knowledge and guide their children to follow the modules available in the DVDs. Once the child gets the hang of using the program you can also monitor their progress.
“Technology is evolving rapidly and I am glad that this educational kit is designed to match the modern day usage of computers and interactive learning methods. Every child is a unique character and trying to compare them with other children and getting impatient with them will not help them to discover their learning capabilities. In the recent past in European countries they have experimented with their education models. Children up to the age of 12 are allowed to take part in more outdoor activities where they are in contact with interesting activities involving sports, music, drama and exploring the outdoor world.”
Marking the launch of Isuru Udana Padam Sellam 10 e-learning kits were presented to kids by CEO/General Manager N. Vasantha Kumara and a token of appreciation was also presented to Dr. Aluthge recognising his participation.
Pix by Sameera Wijesinghe
