Role of Tablets as Mood Elevators in the Perception Towards Green Schools: An Exploratory Research on the Students of Green Schools in Gujarat

Introduction

The issue of environmental education is the current topic of the green debate as the earth is not a separate entity from the perspective of sustainability. Penalties of ecological degradation incorporate poverty, starvation, climate extremes, endangered species, human rights abuse and war, acute and chronic illnesses, and an inexorably flimsy universal situation that predicts panic and catastrophe. Most of the world’s governments and agencies are led by self-serving egotism and are too dawdling towards environmental variations leading to decreased internal stability and health care crisis. According to an estimate 24% of the global disease burden (loss of healthy life years) and 23% of all deaths (premature mortality) are owing to ecological elements, with the environmental burden of diseases being 15 times greater in evolving countries compared to established countries, due to environmental risk exposure and availability of basic health care facilities. (WHO, 2009)

Environmental degradation is of several types and has numerous consequences. Various investigations have been done in many countries applying diverse strategies to find health benefits from enhanced ecological quality to address this challenge. Ecological hazards can be diminished by upgrading the quality of air, water, sanitation facilities, green and renewable sources of energy are observed to be interrelated with noteworthy health advantages and can aid to the accomplishment of the Goals of sustainability, Development and overall wellbeing. Green schools are one such ray of hope that facilitates awareness about environment and how to protect it from degradation on daily basis. Children who represent, future generation of the world must be aware of what they have inherited from their ancestors as Environmental wealth and how to preserve it for their future generations to pass on as a legacy. Keeping this in mind, the Centre for Science and Environment every year awards the green school award to the top eco-friendly schools in India. This year it was held on Feb.15, 2017 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. (Green School Awards 2017, 2017).

Research demonstrates that schools that adopt an ecological concentration exhibit better scholastic execution over the educational modules. Ecological training helps to foster creative and rational thinking, innovative ideas and cultivates leadership qualities. (Kats G.2006).

With the advancement in technology, shift in educational paradigms and ease to accessibility & affordability of information has a vital role as it enhances the learning outcomes. Young learners have the potential to develop social and emotional skills as well as increasing motivation for learning while using technology, in particular tablet devices as instructional tools at school level.

Making use of technology for easy but effective learning methods and saving trees has added a new dimension to the concept of green schools by replacing books/ paper/ pencil with introduction of the touch screen Tablet PC. Today’s generation is tech - savvy and use of tablet as a substitute for conventional books and notebooks serves a dual purpose as it is comparatively easy to be accepted by students as a learning tool keeping in mind their interest in technology and developing inclination towards learning while encouraging them to imbibe concept of sustainability. This study focuses on the methods in which Tablet PC and technology has been used in green schools, acting as mood elevators for students to enhance their sustainable learning in and outside the classroom and how that differs from the past learning experiences of the conventional notebook. Therefore, this chapter focuses on enhanced digital learning using tablets as mood elevators for students of Green schools.