Following the huge success of smart classes in schools, it is time for colleges to take the big tech stride.

The Graduate School College for Women in Sakchi, Jamshedpur - a constituent of Kolhan University - will show the way to its ilk by introducing interactive whiteboards in classrooms. These smart teaching devices function as computer monitors, just bigger in size and capacity, which can store lessons taught in a hard drive.

The cradle, with 7,000 girls on its rolls, is in talks with various IT-allied companies to launch its smart classrooms with a development corpus of Rs 2 lakh.

"The government provides us with funds, but we need to use the money wisely for the welfare of students. Currently, we are in talks with a few companies and will finalise a deal soon. The admission process is on and by the next academic session in July-August, students will get lessons on smart boards. Teaching with visual aid, like 3D diagram and flow chart, is always more effective," said college principal Usha Shukla.

In the first phase, only three classrooms will host e-lessons. However, all students and faculty members can use the facility by turns.

The interactive whiteboards will store lessons for future reference, Shukla reiterated. "When a teacher draws a diagram on the smart board or writes anything on it, the content automatically gets stored in the system. This will help students and teachers refer to lessons before exams. We need to train our teachers now," she added.

Students are just too thrilled to pass by the monotony of blackboard teaching.

"As it is, we live in the virtual world outside classrooms, thanks to smartphones and tablets. We find is easier to learn stuff through visual representations. Blackboards are boring. The whiteboards will make us more attentive I guess," Sweta Kumari, the student president of the college, said with a grin.

"I wish the smart lessons were introduced earlier. Being in the final year, many of us won't be able to attend these classes," said Twinkle Kauntia, a third year commerce student.

Should smart classes be made mandatory in all colleges? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com