Prof Somnath Sengupta, Course Coordinator, Certificate Course in Image and Video Communication (CCIVC)
“It is the first ever live online course of its kind. If students’ objective is not to learn the basics alone, but in addition they wish to go a bit advanced – in terms of system design or even cuttingedge research, they will find this course to be a very valuable companion.”
IT Kharagpur has come a long way since its establishment in 1951. The first IIT to come into existence, IIT Kharagpur was not just an educational institute. It was a movement that would in the years to come, give shape to the Indian technical educational scenario and set a benchmark of the pursuit of excellence. Initially established to train scientists and engineers, post-independence, IIT Kharagpur continues to give to the world dexterous graduates and postgraduates as its alumni.
The institute’s first steps into the new age education were through the setup of the CET. Established in 1995, the Centre for Educational Technology (CET) represented IIT Kharagpur’s early recognition of the increasing importance of the role of Technology and Pedagogy in Engineering Education. Continuing its stronghold over seamless adoption and integration of new technology into education, CCVIC, an online certificate course with Live Virtual Classroom has been launched that will run over a period of 4 months starting the first week of February, 2014. The course is being offered in hybrid mode with combination of both onsite and online phases via the WizIQ Online Course Delivery Solution with integrated live virtual classroom.
What is unique about this course?
For the first time, an online course initiated by a Professor from IIT Kharagpur will be across the globe. The aim of the course is to help the learners master the basics as well as advanced insights of image and video communication. This course is believed to be beneficial to engineers who are designers of algorithms or architects of image, video, communication systems, graphics, animation, etc. The learners of the course will be certified by CEC, IIT Kharagpur (Continuing Education Centre, IIT Kharagpur) after the completion of the course.
The course is originally fashioned upon the hybrid model of teaching, which includes both onsite and online classes. The course will span over three phases:
# Phase I: Feb 8 to Feb 9, 2014. (at IIT Kharagpur campus)
# Phase II: Feb 14 to May 10, 2014. (Online classes on WizIQ.com)
# Phase III: May 17, 2014 (Valedictory at IIT Kharagpur Campus)
(If for some reason the students can’t make it to the campus, the whole course will also be available online).
The web-link of the course is: <go.wiziq.com/2qbk>
Even though IIT Kharagpur is familiar with the advantages of online education, this course is in a way a novel venture of its kind because of its Live Virtual Classroom component.
This example will usher an avenue to add value in the education fraternity as it has immense potentiality to be initiated such kind of course by individual faculty or the institute without hassle of managing a long tail of infrastructural paraphernalia.
Here is how:
1. Almost infinitely scalable- This course connects the teacher and the target students, from anywhere on the globe, in real time, thus justifying the very purpose of launching such a course.
2. Does not require download of software – The course works from a web browser(Windows, mac or Linux), iPad and Android tablets, thus eliminating the need to download any videos or cumbersome softwares.
3. Advanced engaging features for a unique teaching and learning experience via a virtual classroom – The platform supporting the certificate course is robust and offers interactive whiteboard, audio/video via VOIP, screen sharing, document view in the classroom, integrated chat, recorded lessons for selfpaced learning, thus enabling a unique teaching as well as learning experience.
To initiate a similar online course, feel free to drop a mail to Kalyan Sarkar, Director, Academic Liaisons, WizIQ.com, at kalyan@wiziq.com or call +91-9216405405 or +91-9897072888.
