Educational Technologies Used In the WorkIntegrated Learning Programmes of BITSPilani A presentation

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Educational Technologies Used In the
Work-Integrated Learning Programmes of
BITS-PilaniA presentation to the visiting
DEC-UGC-AICTE Team by the Software Development
Educational Technology Unit, BITS-PilaniJune
20, 2009

• Dr. Rahul Banerjee
• Associate Professor Computer Science
  information Systems Group Chief SDET Unit
• On behalf of the Team-SDETU

Website http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/sdetu/
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Presentation points

• A brief introduction to the SDET Unit, its
  functions, its constituent laboratories and
  facilities
• An overview of the Educational Technologies and
  Technology-enhanced Learning Methodologies used
  at BITS Pilani
• Asynchronous Learning Technologies used through
  the BITS Virtual University
• Synchronous Learning Technologies used through
  Desk-top Video-conferencing and Lecture-on-Demand
• E-resources Digital Library Technologies and
  Digital Repositories used
• Technology-assisted Evaluation Methods for
  in-class and work-defense
• An overview of research and development work
  done, on-going research and development works
• A brief overview of External (Indian, European
  and North American) research grants based
  collaborative projects, to provide a glimpse of
  what do we do and how does it impact positively
  our on as well as off-campus education
• Questions Answers

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A brief introduction to the SDET Unit

• The Software Development Educational Technology
  Unit provides select software tools, technology
  solutions and e-services to the Institute
  including the following
• Tools
• Portal driven services
• Multimedia Streaming services
• Project Embryo
• Consultancy
• In addition, the faculty and students at the Unit
  carry out research / development activities in
  the areas of
• Network Protocols, Wearable computing, Wireless
  Sensor Networking, IPv6, Pervasive Computing,
  Optical Networks, Power-aware Routing,
  Quality-of-Service, Internet Security, Anti-Spam
  Technologies
• Operating Systems,
• Software Engineering (Focus testing)
• Super-symmetry

Website http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/sdetu/
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Specialized Centres at the SDET Unit

• Centre for Software Development has three
  laboratories ltestablished with the help of
  initial grant support from IBM (India), Microsoft
  Research (Redmond, USA), European Commissions
  Next Generation Network Initiative (NGNi,
  Brussels) and Telecom-Bretagne (France)gt
• Media Laboratory Focus E-learning E-content
  creation, Animation, BITS-Virtual University,
  Anti-spam technologies, Asynchronous e-learning
  technologies, Course Management Tools
• BITS-Microsoft Laboratory for Mobile Computing
  Focus Mobile computing, Wearable Computing,
  Wireless Sensor Networks, Mobile IPv6, Pervasive
  Computing, Real-time Operating Systems, Search
  techniques for Digital Libraries, Telemedicine
  framework
• BITS-IBM Laboratory for Open Source Technologies
  Focus Open-source software, Web-Services,
  IPv6-QoS-aware Grid-Computing, Network
  Internet Security, Website development
• Centre for Education Technology has three
  distinct facilities
• Digital Video Studio Focus EDUSAT-based
  interactive multi-way lecture delivery,
  video-content creation
• High-Definition Multi-party Video-Conferencing
  Facility Focus high-definition, two-way or
  multi-way intensive collaboration and learning,
  also used internally for conferencing
• Internet-based Desktop Video-Conferencing
  Facility Focus Live Interactive, Scheduled and
  On-demand lecture delivery, E-meetings,
  Webcasting for heavily scattered student
  population anywhere in the connected world

Website http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/csd/
Website http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/cet/
Website http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/sdetu/
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The Educational Technologies used at BITS Pilani

• Asynchronous Learning Technologies used through
  the BITS Virtual University and WILP Portal
• HTML and Slide-based content delivery for select
  courses
• Limited support through animation and soft-tutor
  modules
• Course-wise Mailing Lists
• Lecture-repositories
• Access to select Old-Question Papers and Sample
  Indicative Solutions
• Synchronous Learning Technologies used through
  Desk-top Video-conferencing and
  Lecture-on-Demand
• Live-Interactive Lecture-sessions (at an average,
  18 hours per subject)
• 24x7 Availability of delivered lectures (minus
  the video part) to those who missed live lectures
• E-resources Digital Library Technologies and
  Digital Repositories used
• BITS-VU, WILP Portal, Professors Websites plus
  Books 24x7 or similar resources
• Technology-assisted Evaluation Methods for
  in-class and work-defense

Websites http//vu.bits-pilani.ac.in/ and
http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/cet/
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The Digital Video Studio ltEDUSATgt

• The studio provides the facility for medium-high
  quality live interactive lecture delivery among
  our various campuses under EDUSAT project
  initiated by GoI/ISRO.
• Equipped with Digital Smart-board, HDVC System,
  Touch-sensitive monitor, Mixer and ancillary
  equipments
• Recording facility is being considered to be
  added as part of an expansion plan
• The technology is readily available, if the need
  is felt by the Institute, for WILP use.
• Various BITS campuses stand benefited at
  Pilani,Goa and Hyderabad.
• Current Status
• Two teaching end and three class room ends are
  ready at Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad campuses of
  BITS
• System used extensively during the last semester
  using EDUSATs IGNOU-based Mini-hub with the
  help of a 2-Mbps data-only (no Internet
  connectivity) Leased line connectivity from
  Pilani to New Delhi

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9/28/2009
(c) Software Development Educational Technology
Unit, BITS-Pilani, Rajasthan, PIN-333031, INDIA
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The Digital Video Studio

• Technical Aspects
• Lecture transmission from teaching end to min hub
  (New Delhi) is through the Leased line and from
  mini hub various campuses can receive through
  satellite communication
• Satellite Bandwidth is provided ltKU-Bandgt by
  ISRO
• As of now, Interactive sessions cannot be
  recorded and transmitted later we need it to be
  added.
• Use begun on Jan 15, 2009
• Another on going project is to provide IPTV
  facility. It includes high / medium-high / low
  quality ltas per needgt Video-on-Demand and
  scheduled video multicasting
• Hardware / Software involved
• CISCO IPTV servers (08 numbers) for this
  facility.
• A set of three IP/TV Servers had been procured
  with the help of a DEC Grant in 2000-2001.
• Team Mr. Virendra Singh Shekhawat
  (Faculty-in-charge, Pilani campus), Mr. Vikram
  Singh Mokawat (Technical operation assistant),
  Dr. Rahul Banerjee

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9/28/2009
Website http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/cet/
(c) Software Development Educational Technology
Unit, BITS-Pilani, Rajasthan, PIN-333031, INDIA
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The Internet Based Desktop Video Conferencing
(DTVC) Facility

• Objective To facilitate Online Lectures,
  interactions, on-line in-class quizzes, on-demand
  services and web-based seminars for
• The Off-campus Work-Integrated learning programme
  of the Institute
• Some statistics
• Over 540 live interactive lectures delivered each
  semester, at an average
• Over 3000 archived lectures for view-on-demand
• Caters to about 5000 off-campus students
• E-meetings, BS/MS/PhD viva-voce, PS-interviews
• Some statistics
• Over 150 B.S. / M.S. / PhD viva-voce per
  semester
• About 50 collaborative programmes with different
  organizations
• Team Dr. Rishikesh Vaidya (faculty in charge),
  Dr. Rahul Banerjee along with 7-days a week,
  16-hour per day Help-desk Mr. Vasu Saini, Mr.
  Bhagat Singh

Website http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/cet/
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IP-based DTVC Facilities at the SDET Unit

• Locally Installed Hardware
• One main ICC server (IBM x-series 255)
• one hot ICC back-up server
• a back-up server
• Enetrprise-class Internet-based Collaboration
  Software
• Interwise ATT Connect (server end)
• Interwise ATT Participant application (client
  end)
• Outsourced Link External Server-support
• International Expressway service connects
  BITS-Pilani servers to five high-availability
  servers situated in different parts of the world
  and interconnected through High-speed data links
• 4 Mbps premium leased line with QoS-based SLA to
  connect to the Expressway

Website http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/dtvc/
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Project Embryo

• A collaborative initiative by BITS and its Alumni
• Two challenges faced by University today
• Accommodate explosive growth in knowledge
• Narrowing specializations on one hand and
  emergence of interdisciplinary areas on the other
• Embryo accommodates such diverse needs by
  leveraging technologies like
• Internet based Dektop Video conferencing Facility
  and
• High-Definition Video-Conferencing facility (as
  per mutual convenience of the speaker and campus)
  
• and tapping the expertise of alumni and friends
  of BITS.

Website http//www.bitsembryo.org/
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It is indeed a small world

• A talk attended by 600 students across
  campuses!

Audience at BITS Pilani
Audience atBITS Dubai
Speaker from US
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95 lectures since March '06

• Semester-wise break-up of lectures

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Embryo Lectures in Various Disciplines
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Work at the Media Laboratory

• Services offered as per needs of the Institute
• Open-source-based e-mail services to Off-campus
  Students, corresponding on-campus faculty
• BITS-VU based asynchronous content delivery
  services and student learning support services
• Course management services for the on-campus
  faculty
• Course-specific support services to the on-campus
  students via the IntraBITS portal
• Ongoing software development projects
• The BITS Virtual University ltInitial support came
  from IBM, now completely running on in-house
  softwaregt
• System architecture and corresponding software
  development for VU
• design and development of web-enabled multimedia
  course ware
• Course Management Tool CMT
• Teachers can manage their courses online create
  notices and display on e-notice page, manage
  calendar, upload lectures/course material, handle
  assignments,carry out marks entry/grading,
  receive feed back from students etc..
• Intra-BITS
• Available for students to view any notices
  uploaded by the instructors.
• Students can view course material, upload
  assignments, see marks and grades etc.
  corresponding to their courses.
• Anti-spam technology development ltdoes have
  research aspects as wellgt
• Campus-wise Online Notice Board Project

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Infrastructure at the Media Laboratory

• Major Infrastructural Facilities
• Hardware
• Personal Workstations 25
• Servers (Symmetric Multi-processing-based, rack
  mounted and Tower models 09
• Software
• Variants of Microsoft Windows XP/Vista, Microsoft
  Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Sharepoint Server,
  Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Office
• Variants of the Linux operating system and
  corresponding open-source software including what
  is popularly called LAMP
• Team Ms. K Manjusha (Faculty-in-Charge), Mr.
  Bhavesh Neekhra, Mr. Atul Runthala, Dr. Rahul
  Banerjee

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The BITS-IBM Laboratory for Open Source Computing

• Major infrastructural facilities
• Hardware
• Number of Work-station class machines - 32
• Symmetric multiprocessor based Server class
  machines 03
• Software
• IBM Websphere Application Server, Websphere
  Sudio, DB2, Open Office
• SUN Solaris, Suns Star Office, SUN Grid
• Globus Grid Computing Toolkit, Several variants
  of Linux operating system and open source
  software
• Also used
• Microsoft Windows XP / Vista, Microsoft 2003
  Advanced Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft
  Office 2007,
• Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Premiere, Coldfusion,
  Macromedia Dreamweaver
• Continuing development projects
• BITS Website Project
• Ongoing research projects ltResearch grants
  Microsoft, IBM, ECgt
• IPv6-QoS-aware Grid-Computing project ltopen
  sourcegt
• Team Mr. Prashant Chirania (Web Master), Mr.
  Ajay Roongta, Dr. Rahul Banerjee

9/28/2009
(c) Software Development Educational Technology
Unit, BITS-Pilani, Rajasthan, PIN-333031, INDIA
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BITS-Microsoft Laboratory for Mobile Computing

• Thrust Areas for research Mobile computing,
  Wearable Computing, Wireless Sensor Networks,
  Mobile IPv6, Pervasive Computing, Real-time
  Operating Systems, Search techniques for Digital
  Libraries, Telemedicine framework, Pervasive
  Computing
• Major Infrastructural Facilities
• Workstation class machines
• Tablet PCs
• Nexus-10 wearable wireless physiological monitor
• Wireless sensor network kit (crossbow IRIS
  node-based) 30 IRIS nodes, 10 gateways and
  associated software
• D-link Air Premier IEEE 802.11b wireless Access
  point
• Pocket PCs Phones
• Pocket PCs
• Real-Time operating systems RT-Linux, Microsoft
  Win CE 5/6, Tiny OS 2.1
• Non-real-time Operating systems Variants of
  Linux, Microsoft Windows XP/Vista
• Related open-source and propriety application
  software including Bio-Trace from Mind Media BV,
  Microsoft Visual Studio (regular and embedded
  editions), Suns JME and JSE

9/28/2009
(c) Software Development Educational Technology
Unit, BITS-Pilani, Rajasthan, PIN-333031, INDIA
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Work at the BITS-Microsoft Laboratory for Mobile
Computing

• External research grant-based projects
• Tiny6-STIC Wireless Sensor Network with IPv6
  project
• iCharak Telemedicine Project ltto be used atop the
  Grid-One architecturegt
• Next-generation Network Initiative project using
  IPv6 and QoS
• BITS Life-guard Wearable Computing project
• BITS Heart-guard Wearable Computing project
• Oxford Journal Server Digital Library Project
• Team Ms. Swati Keskar (Faculty-in-Charge), Mr.
  Vishnu Jakhoria, Mr. Ajay Roongta, Dr. Rahul
  Banerjee

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Some relevant links / data

• Major Projects Completed
• IPv6-based multimedia Internet QoS project
  ltFunded by NGNi, European Commissiongt
• http//ipv6.bits-pilani.ac.in/ngni/index.ht
  ml/
• Project Journal-Server lt Funded by JST, Trinity
  College, Oxford Universitygt ltPhase I
  completedgt
• http//www.js.org/
• Major Projects Ongoing
• Project BITS-WearComp (BITS-LifeGuard
  BITS-HeartGuard) Design and development of
  wearable computers for life saving ltpartly funded
  by NGNi and Microsoft Researchgt
• http//discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/WearComp/
• Project Tiny6 IPv6, Mobility and
  Power-conservation aspects of Sensor Networks in
  pervasive computing environments
• ltFunded by French ministry of Foreign
  Affairs, INRIA, Telecom-ParisTech, Telecom
  Bretagnegt
• http//tiny6.point6.net/
• Project NetFirst IPv6 native support based
  web-accessible Remote Network Laboratory Project
  being carried out atop Extended MIT iLabs
  Architecture ltSupported by MIT,-Cambridge
  Microsoft Research-Redmondgt

9/28/2009
(c) Software Development Educational Technology
Unit, BITS-Pilani, Rajasthan, PIN-333031, INDIA
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The Digital Video Studio
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The Media Laboratory
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The BITS-IBM Laboratory for Open Source Computing

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The BITS-Microsoft Mobile Computing Laboratory
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In Progress The PAN-African e-Network Studio
Setup

• BITS Pilani has been identified by the Government
  of India as one of universities to participate in
  its ambitious PAN-African e-Network Initiative.
• BITS is likely to offer three Certificate
  programmes to select West-African Nations using
  Govt. of Indias PAN-African e-Network
  Infrastructure.
• Current Status MoU Signed with TCIL as per GoI
  advisory , Studio set-up work is in progress

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Any questions please?

• Thank you for your kind attention and time!