Tag: e-learning

IIT Kharagpur develops e-Classroom software for Indian academia – DEEKSHAK

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Researchers at IIT Kharagpur have developed an e-classroom software, DEEKSHAK. With COVID-19 lockdown and social distancing, educational institutions across the world have shifted to electronic mode. Meeting software platforms are being popularly used for online classes. But the users are frequently experiencing challenges with regard to security issues, and more importantly, the operational requirements of an electronic classroom which is significantly different from a corporate meeting. 

A team of researchers from IIT Kharagpur has developed a solution, an online synchronous e-teaching platform that primarily uses one-way communication for bandwidth efficiency. The focus, hence instead of being, all students participating in a class as in a meeting software, is on the teacher and the learning materials. Prof. Raja Datta of Electronics and Electrical Communication Department with his postgraduate students developed the software, the current version of which can be used within a campus LAN.

Talking about DEEKSHAK, he said, “it is now a single session platform where the teacher would concentrate on the screen with the teaching materials while being able to view queries on a live chat box where each student can send in their queries. Students also have access to a doubt box where they can click to “raise their hand” and wait for the teacher to address it, as is done in a physical classroom. Teachers can also share documents with the students through the platform and even update notes on the documents in real-time.” 

DEEKSHAK is a low bandwidth web-based software and can be accessed using any computer or even cell phone. Teachers can also record the attendance of the students on the platform. The software has been tested at IIT Kharagpur during the initial phase of social distancing with about 40 hours of classes being conducted with a total of approximately 300 students. 

Director Prof. Virendra K Tewari said, “We need platforms addressing challenges faced by India and Deekshak is designed to cater to Indian academia, be it the bandwidth issue, or user interface or storage. We are leaders in ICT and should find affordable solutions with social and commercial value. This is one clear goal I have set for IIT Kharagpur. DEEKSHAK is one step towards that goal through which the teachers would be able to offer more personalized interaction while focusing better on the act of teaching.” 

IIT Kharagpur has applied for the copyright registration of DEEKSHAK and is in search of a start-up company for its maintainability. Further development of DEEKSHAK is also underway to improve its features and make it secure so that it can be made available for use in academia, confirmed Prof. Raja Datta.

Contacts: 

Project Information: Prof. Raja Datta rajadatta@ece.iitkgp.ac.in; 

Institute Related: Prof. B N Singh, registrar@hijli.iitkgp.ac.in; 

Media Outreach: Shreyoshi Ghosh, shreyoshi@adm.iitkgp.ac.in; 

More News:: https://kgpchronicle.iitkgp.ac.in/; 

Follow IIT Kharagpur on Social Media: Facebook:@IIT.Kgp; Twitter: @IITKgp; Instagram: @iit.kgp

Learning Never Stops

It has been almost two weeks since the teaching and learning at IIT Kharagpur has gone virtual. The Center for Educational Technology at the Institute has been using the online interface Webex for conducting classes across all levels of study. 

The Institute though was holding classes on YouTube Live which became popular with some of the classes getting thousand plus likes, the mode shifted entirely to Webex since the lockdown. Many faculty members have been teaching online on digital platforms such as Swayam, MOOCs and DTH platform Swayam Prabha. The lectures have already been already been uploaded on the respective platforms for the current semester. Additionally live lectures are being carried out through WebEx.

“While academic activities would remain suspended until further notice, students are being facilitated through existing and newly acquired e-learning platforms,” said Director Prof. V K Tewari.

Talking about his experience Prof. Jeevanjyoti Chakraborty , from the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering opined on making available user friendly e-learning platforms which would enable the teachers to focus more on teaching than the logistics. He also mulled over the flipped classroom and active learning strategies wherein students can listen to recording course lectures prior to the scheduled online class and interact more regarding their queries on the topic.

“Since the pronouncement of the suspension of classes, the Center for Education Technology has acquired a large number of WebEx licenses from CISCO for conducting classes. Shorter sessions are also being conducted through Zoom,” said Shib Sankar Das from the Centre.

MHRD has been promoting various e-learning platforms since the academic activities have been restricted in educational institutions earlier this month due to CoronaVirus outbreak. The Institute already has a large repository of video lectures on NPTEL added with those from other IITs which anyone can access online from the Swayam-NPTEL online platform. Students who enrol for these courses also receive assignment which they can submit online for grading. Video lectures are also available on the DTH platform Swayam Prabha.

“Online classes are enabling us not to stop our learning during quarantine time. Moreover  the recorded lectures during online classes are later helping us to revise the content with more ease at our flexibility which would be absent in offline setting,” said Undergraduate Students Representative Santosh T.Y.S.S.

Bhavya Kumar, 3rd year student from Dept. of Chemical Engineering said, “NPTEL videos are nice. They give somewhat classroom experience though interaction is required for discussions which can be addressed through WebEx. Overall classes through WebEx were good in terms of giving a brief idea about the topics but one needs to ensure smooth internet connectivity.”

Another 3rd year from the Dept. of Agricultural and Food Engineering, Akshat Jain is relying more on lecture slides to bridge the gap.

“Students can modify their study patterns based on the resources available. On NPTEL I attend only relevant portion of the pre-recorded lectures to suit my course structure. I took lectures for three courses out of six through WebEx. Discussions did happen on our queries and interest is growing gradually as we are also new to this mode of learning. Instead of complaining about the current situation, we should focus on possible solutions,” he said. Akshat has been following YouTube videos for courses on stock market and business studies.

Many faculty members who have classes scheduled in the coming week have sent the students links to their lectures that cover the cover the topics of the syllabus. Several of them also have been interacting with students on email and messengers especially to address queries related to the lectures. Some teachers are also recording videos and sending them to their students for ease of learning.

Another platform which students across all areas and levels of study would find extremely beneficial is the National Digital Library of India. It was developed by IIT Kharagpur under the aegis of Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India in the year 2016 as a National Mission project. NDLI has been at the forefront of e-learning platforms with over 4.8 crore content in more than 300 languages that can be viewed in 60+ formats apart from e-books (audiobooks, simulations, e-thesis, question papers etc.). The platform has over 55 Lakh users. A recent addition on NDLI has been a special module named ‘Corona Outbreak: Study from Home’ with a collation of a wide range of digital content. 

“Please visit and continue your studies. NDLI is accessible through the web as well as mobile App. Be safe but let us be digitally active in academics and connected,” says Prof. P P Chakrabarti, Principal Investigator of NDLI, on his social media handle. 

He further urges to reach out to students who can be immensely benefited from this platform during this lockdown period. 

“Digital Libraries have become the next generation paradigm for people to empower themselves with knowledge and contribute to the knowledge gathering of this world,” he added.

In another attempt to motivate and engage students, the Undergraduate Students Council of the Institute has launched KGP Hacks Corona, an initiative for the IIT KGP community to build software and data solutions aimed at tackling various challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Council representative Santosh T.Y.S.S  said, “the objective is not only to engage the students during the isolation period but also create an online space where developers can ideate, experiment and build software solutions. Students can use technologies of their choice in diverse areas to address the thematic areas of the tech challenge.

Director Prof. Tewari also urged the students through his social media handle to transform this time in isolation into an opportunity to acquire new knowledge and shape our skills using our quiet time for which we otherwise struggle through our daily routine. He encouraged them to make use of their social media accounts, messengers and the free flow of time to achieve all the items in their to-do list.

Study@COVID-Time with NDLI

IIT Kharagpur develops JEE Preparation Module on NDLI during COVID-19 Lockdown

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In a recent announcement JEE Main and NEET UG have been postponed till last week of May 2020 with Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Minister, Human Resources Development, Govt. of India urging students to prepare further for these examinations during this period. While the decision for the postponement was expected, students now need adequate online resources and e-learning materials to continue with their preparation. 

IIT Kharagpur has been quick to address the issue by developing a preparatory module for JEE available to students for free on the National Digital Library of India platform.  Students can visit the NDLI website https://www.ndl.gov.in/ or https://ndl.iitkgp.ac.in/ or log on to the NDLI mobile application. A special module named ‘Corona Outbreak: Study from Home’ has been added to the website which contains a wide range of digital content including those preparing for competitive examinations like JEE Advanced. The repository contains NDLI Tutorial for JEE Advanced for 12 years and Practice Questions and Solutions for JEE Preparation. Content for JEE Mains for 5 years is expected to be made available soon.  

“The solutions have been prepared from the perspective of undergraduate students who have cleared JEE as well as subject matter experts and doctoral students in related areas. Hence the solutions are diverse and students can opt for their preferred methods. Further we have provided reference materials for related problems, so students can explore further the topics,” explained Prof. Partha Pratim Das, Joint-Principal Investigator, NDLI.

Students can browse the School option under the Corona Outbreak module or search by relevant keywords. The developers recommend registering on the portal for better user experience though the resources are available without any restrictions.

“Please visit and continue your studies. Please let us know how we can continue to support your preparations. NDLI is accessible through the web as well as mobile App. Be safe but let us be digitally active in academics and connected,” says Prof. P P Chakrabarti, Principal Investigator of NDLI, on his social media handle. He further urges to reach out to students who can be immensely benefited from this platform during this lockdown period. “Digital Libraries have become the next generation paradigm for people to empower themselves with knowledge and contribute to the knowledge gathering of this world,” he added.

NDLI was developed by IIT Kharagpur under the aegis of Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India in the year 2016 as a National Mission project. MHRD has been promoting various e-learning platforms since the academic activities have been restricted in educational institutions earlier this month due to CoronaVirus outbreak. NDLI has been at the forefront of such e-learning platforms with over 4.8 crore content in more than 300 languages that can be viewed in 60+ formats apart from e-books (audiobooks, simulations, e-thesis, question papers etc.). The platform has over 55 Lakh users.

“The project, which has been collating content to democratize education for India, has shaped up to be the most promising initiative on the future of libraries from India and symbolizes a strong voice to tell the story from India’s standpoint,” added Prof. Das. 

COVID Preventive Care @IITKgp

Stakeholders at IIT KGP promote hygiene and preventive care amidst COVID-19 scare

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A team of researchers from IIT Kharagpur’s School of Medical Science and Technology has successfully developed an alcohol based hand rub following the present scenario of scarcity of hand sanitizers/ hand wash preparations in the market due to their heavy demand. The team created the formulation based on guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization.

The hand rub essentially consists of isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, glycerol and water. This formulation is based on WHO guidelines of local in house production that is effective against bacteria and viruses. 

The team consisted mostly of research scholars Atul Kumar Ojha, Ayan Gope, Anurup Mukhopadhyay, Lopamudra Das, Akashlina Basu, a few of whom are from pharmaceutical technology background.

The Transport Section of the Institute led by Prof. Mihir Sarangi from the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering has also developed another formulation based on 70% Isopropyl or Rubbing alcohol, or Ethanol + 30% Aloe vera gel + 10 drops of Essential oil.

Both groups are making their sanitizer available to the select segments of the staff to help them adhere to hygiene protocols as advised by WHO while they continue providing essential services to the students and campus community.

“The formulation has been prepared only on non-commercial basis and undertaking for its use has been taken from different labs,” confirmed researcher Atul Kumar Ojha. 

The Institute has also ordered for masks designed by the healthcare authorities of the campus and made locally as has been confirmed by Director Prof. V K Tewari.

Further to this, to limit social connection at official premises, The Institute on March 22, 2020 following a communication received from the Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, permitted working from home or hostel to Faculty members / Researchers including those working in projects / other Scholars & Fellows who are carrying out research / Non-Teaching staff (except employees attached to emergency services) till 31st March 2020 or until further order.

The academic staff and research scholars are being encouraged to develop on-line content, on-line teaching and on-line evaluation, prepare lesson plan and develop instructional material for the courses to be offered during next academic year / next semester, carry on research and project related works, write articles, papers, prepare innovative questions for question banks and even strategize innovative projects on ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ program and other topics.

Combating COVID

IIT Kharagpur’s Combat against COVID19

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As the world is battling CoronaVirus, universities suspending their academic and select other activities, in one corner of Eastern India, the world renowned institute is giving fillip to the combat against COVID-19. The oldest and largest IIT and its stakeholders on the campus are contributing through a wide range of initiatives to continue helping students with their course work, increase public awareness about CoronaVirus pandemic and create resources to boost health and hygiene. Whether they be at the laboratories creating much needed solutions or socially distanced students seeking meaningful engagement or faculty and staff exploring alternate mode of teaching and learning, IIT Kharagpur is exhibiting its unique creative energy and cautious optimism at this crucial time demanding our endurance and responsible behaviour.

Health Outreach Projects

Recently Vision Prabaho, a twenty-member student group from IIT Kharagpur, found special mention in the social media post by Shri Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology. The group had translated the precautionary advisory issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in eleven Indian languages.

Biswaroop Mondal, one of the students from the group said, “An astounding billion plus people are conversing in regional languages. We thought it would be imperative to help increase the reach through messages in vernacular languages. We have translated the advisory issued by WHO in Assamese, Bengali, Odiya, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Hindi. We are trying to incorporate more editions of the video in other regional languages.”

In another initiative, four researchers are carrying out a study titled  ‘Travel During COVID-19 Outbreak: Behaviour, Impact, and Interventions’ to increase public awareness and perceptions about travel and social distancing. They are collecting public inputs to understand diverse insights and create a sense of preparedness. The researchers include Dr. Saurabh Dandapat, Dr. Kinjal Bhattacharyya, Annam Sai Kiran and Kaustubh Saysardar.

Hygiene Facilitation

Further to this, a research group is also working towards developing a hand sanitizing solution independently following WHO guidelines. The Transport section of the Institute has also prepared a hand sanitizer for internal use and hygiene. Read More

“The campus hospital is also exploring the procurement of washable masks designed and manufactured locally to ensure safety during unavoidable social and limited professional interactions. The administrators have been practicing social distancing themselves and encouraging the practice among the staff and students,” said Director Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari. 

Alternative Academics

It may be mentioned in this regard that restricted travel and social distancing have been repeatedly advised by healthcare practitioners and has been a key component in the address by the Prime Minister on March 19. But the social distancing goes beyond health and hygiene.

“While academic activities remain suspended until March 31, students are being facilitated through existing and newly acquired e-learning platforms,” added Prof. Tewari.

The Institute already offers a wide range of course lectures on digital platforms such as MOOCs, Swayam, and DTH platform Swayam Prabha. Students can access these with a high-speed internet connection from anywhere in the world.

“Since the pronouncement of the suspension of classes, the Center for Education Technology has acquired a large number of WebEx licenses from CISCO for conducting classes from 2nd-year undergraduate courses upto postgraduate level. First-year classes are being conducted through YouTube Live. More than 40 faculty members are already taking classes using these e-learning facilities. We are further discussing with Zoom to facilitate interactive online teaching,” said Shib Sankar Das from the Centre. 

Prof. Jeevanjyoti Chakraborty who recently conducted a lecture on Mechanics reported more than 1500 viewers for his lecture on YouTube of which 450 were live viewers.

Talking about his experience Prof. Chakraborty said, “the teaching community is new to managing technicalities while recording lectures. The e-learning which we have been using until now was done at studios and there is technical staff to work through the logistics. The Institute’s stepping up the YouTube Live facility has enabled the faculty to concentrate on the teaching part instead of being concerned with the technical aspects of recording and streaming.”

He also mulled over the flipped classroom and active learning strategies wherein students can listen to recording course lectures prior to the scheduled online class and interact more regarding their queries on the topic.

Virtual Campus Outreach

In a novel initiative to give the mind rest from the flow of news and discussions regarding COVID19, the students of IIT Kharagpur and those studying in schools on the campus are being encouraged to engage creatively especially the occasion of Earth Day which is scheduled on April 22. The Govt. of India has been actively promoting it for the past few years. The Branding and Communications Cell under the aegis of the Dean International Relations, IIT Kharagpur has launched an online competition and exhibition (Drawing/Painting, Poster, Photo Story and Video) in electronic mode, extensively using social media platforms to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Earth Day. While the themes would primarily include Climate Change, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Pollution, Biodiversity, it would also include themes such as Disaster Management, Hygiene & Cleanliness. (Click Here to Know More)

“The Institute is gearing up for a digitized celebration of Earth Day which is scheduled on April 22 with the optimism of a better tomorrow,” remarked Director Tewari. 

“We are among the first in India to strategize an online celebration of Earth Day which is otherwise marked with large public gatherings, environmental events and activism,” stated a staff member. 

Gearing Up for March 22

The Institute is also gearing up for the moment of gratitude and solidarity with those sections of the community who have been serving the campus diligently during the COVID pandemic.

Following the message of PM Narendra Modi, Director Tewari confirmed that the community will take part in the solidarity clap with the staff engaged in essential services such as healthcare, security, hostel mess, sanitation, electricity etc. along with the defenders of the nation on these fronts.