Kerala launches new ICT textbooks for Classes 3 to 10 integrating coding, animation, and music

NEW DELHI: Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), a wing under the Department of General Education, on Sunday launched its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) textbooks for schools in the state. The revised ICT textbooks, integrating Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC), provide a unique learning opportunity by aligning with the AVGC-XR (Extended Reality) policy introduced by the state government last year, an official statement said.

Earlier, KITE had introduced a curriculum incorporating Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Fact-Checking. According to KITE officials, the new curriculum introduces students to digital arts and music from a young age. "In the Class 3 chapter titled 'Songbox’, children learn to identify basic musical notes through a trial-and-error method. By Class 4, through chapters like ‘Play the Piano’ and ‘Utsav Mela’, students begin composing their own songs.

Digital music integration in Class 8 via LMMS software

"The journey culminates in Class 8, where students explore the potential of digital music by composing background scores for their own animation films using the Digital Audio Workstation software LMMS (Linux Multimedia System)," the statement said. It also said that animation technology is introduced progressively, starting at the upper primary level. "In the Class 6 chapter ‘Drawings in Motion’, students begin their animation journey by creating movements of a ball and a car using 'Pencil 2D' software, while also learning fundamental concepts like FPS, onion skinning, and frames.

"By Class 10, in the chapter 'Giving Life to Pictures’, they undertake advanced projects using 'Open Toonz' software, covering storyboarding, character design, keyframing, and tweening," it said. According to KITE, the curriculum integrates seamlessly with game design. "After engaging in logical gaming as pre-programming activities until Class 3, students begin creating simple movements with Scratch software in Class 4 and design mathematical patterns in Class 5.

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ICT curriculum introduces coding from Class 6

"In Class 6, they build their first computer game, guiding a baby mouse to its mother, in the chapter ‘Coding: The Things in the Game’. This coding proficiency is gradually built upon in Classes 7 and 8, leading to in-depth learning with the Python programming language in Classes 9 and 10," the statement said. K Anvar Sadath, KITE CEO and Chairman of the ICT textbook drafting committee, is quoted as having said that in the new era of AI, these new ICT textbooks will help students simultaneously acquire technical skills, easily comprehend various subjects, and develop crucial job skills.

According to Sadath, the content was refined after being taught extensively to members of the 'Little KITES' clubs, and that experience is now being extended to all students. He stated that the second volume of the textbooks for Classes 8, 9, and 10, prepared in Malayalam, English, Tamil, and Kannada languages, will be distributed to students after the Onam holidays. KITE has already completed training for all ICT teachers to effectively implement the new curriculum, the statement said. KITE earlier provided all the software to schools along with the customised Free and Open Source ( FOSS) operating system suite, a KITE official said.