New Delhi: National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) books that are available online may now include video content along with text.

The academic body is considering a proposal named Energised Textbooks under which books for higher classes may have digital links to multimedia material where concepts will be explained through diagrams, charts and data.

"The e-publications of the NCERT merely present the text material. These books can create more curiosity and fun if they introduce multimedia material," an NCERT official said. CBSE and several state government boards follow NCERT books.

EkStep, an organisation founded by Nandan Nilekani, has already made a presentation before NCERT officials to upgrade the textbooks.

Contacted, S.K. Vidyasagar, director, field operation, of EkStep said the initiative was being taken under the Diksha programme of the human resource development ministry. He did not wish to divulge further details.

NCERT sources said the chapters in any book, while explaining certain concepts, would have QR codes that will be a link to the digital content.

A QR code is a barcode that is readable by smartphones and tabs through scanning.

"Several studies have found that video-based learning is not as good as personal interactions between students and teachers. It certainly helps in awareness. But students learn better during direct interactions because the teacher knows the student," Prof. Rajeev Kumar, who teaches computer science in JNU, said.

He added that video-based learning was expensive. The students need to have smartphones and access to the Internet, Kumar pointed out.