KOOL - KITE introduced a MOOC model training platform for teachers viz KOOL (KITE’s Open Online Learning) in which the teachers can select the training course of their choice without actually losing academic days and by availing the services of an expert faculty. Government has sanctioned KOOL platform for teacher trainings and it is the first official MOOC course for school teachers. It is compulsory for the teachers in the State to successfully complete 45 hours of computer course in order to clear their probation. The idea of KOOL raised with the State’s schools becoming Hi-Tech, requiring teachers and students to be trained on different domains simultaneously.

KOOL uses the Samagra portal for registering for the courses. There would be a mentor from KITE for every 20 learners. The teachers who register to the courses in KOOL would have to be physically present on the first and last day of the course for the contact class and skill presentation respectively. All other classes would be completely online. Assignments, Quiz, discussion forums etc would be part of the course in addition to a dedicated messaging chat room for clearing the doubts.

KOOL has an array of features for the learner, in the form of animated learning assistants, video tutorials, checklists etc for practicing the activities. Activity details and digital resources can be downloaded for offline practice without the need for internet. However submission of assignments and participating in the Live classes on all weekends have to be mandatorily undertaken online. The six week course includes creation of word documents, spreadsheet, presentation, image editing, video-audio editing, development of digital resources, Malayalam typing, internet, educational applications etc. Teachers who successfully complete the course would be awarded with certificates.

The course is designed on an online platform. Each Learner would be provided with a unique User Name and Password, on completing the registration and the same can be used for logging into a Course to know more on its details. The Learner would get all the notifications in his/her email provided at the time of registration. At the start of every Course, there would be a Contact class to get accustomed with the online training platform. Every Course would feature regular activities, assignments, online quizzes, self-evaluation activities, discussion forums etc. On completing a Course, the Learner can participate in Skill presentation where a Grade would be awarded to them, with which they can complete the Course. The Skill presentation comprises of hands-on activities and questionnaire.

A group for a particular Course is formed when 20 teachers have registered for the Course. Once the registration is complete and the Learners chose a Course, they would be having a Contact class. This would be followed by weekly activities which would be provided to them online (Minimum 6 hours per week). The Learners have to submit the assignments on every weekend, which would be followed by Online Quiz related to the course and Chat session. Once the Course activities are completed as stipulated, the Learners can obtain their eligibility for Skill presentation. On successful completion of the Course, every Learner would be awarded a Certificate which would have the Grades obtained by them in the Skill presentation.

Some of the benefits of KOOL include the following

1. Training days are not lost. Teachers are not required to stay off from their schools.

2. Online courses are designed with specified learning hours for every week. The Learners have the flexibility to complete the activities at their convenience. For this, they need not postpone any of their current activities.

3. The Courses are designed to be undertaken by the Learners on a self-learning mode. The course features self-learning assisting files and videos. There is facility for Learner to interact online with colleagues for clearing any doubts and if required, they can also interact with their mentors in this matter.

4. Once the teacher community is able to effective make use of this facility, similar courses for other subjects can also arranged in the similar manner. This would ease the teacher training programme which are conducted during vacation and regular times.

5. Since the class learning hours are not lost, teacher training programmes shall not be postponed to vacation times.

6. There would be opportunity to avail the services of internationally expert faculty.

7. Every learner would get an opportunity for learn the course of their choice.