Novel Educational and Pedagogical Applications on Aakash Platform

1. Novel Educational and Pedagogical Applications on Aakash Platform

2. Objective: • Identify set of rich applications to be ported on Aakash • Port/Create the Educational Software for students as well as teachers • Tools to assist teachers: Content creation, Managing students • Tools to assist students: Organize content, monitor learning process • Educational content delivery tools: Content repositories, online exam tools, large scale video streaming • Pedagogical application: Collaborative learning tools, interactive class rooms • Create an educational eco system with student developers, academia, eLearning companies

3. Aakash Application Development Labs (AADL) • Set up application development labs in 5 IITs- IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Mandi & IIT Guwahati

4. Meeting of all AADLs: 11 March, 2013 • Meeting of all AADLs took place on March 11 at CDAC Noida • Following actions were planned: • Student Training and App Development: • Each IIT to train close to 400-500 students • In the long run inter-IIT trainings over NKN can also be conducted • Encourage students to develop interesting applications on android • Each IIT to set up forum were participating students can register and form a community of app developers • In the long run, to set up forum where student developers across IITs can participate and interact with each other – IIT Kgp will be responsible for the same. • Conduct inter AADL competitions over summer for student app developers • Localization Support: CDAC Noida and IIT Kgp to work on the same • Virtual Labs: Explore the use of Virtual Labs already developed by IITM, IITB, Amrita and CDAC under various NME-ICT initiatives • eBook: Each lab to use IITM tool to publish eBooks • Mirror Server: For connectivity using DTH for communication

5. IIT Madras - Interactive Digital Book Platform • Authoring Tool • Web based LMS • Can create , edit, deliver and manage courses • Create course using different resources such as: text, videos, animation, illustration, quiz/assignments, presentation, worksheets • Lengthy videos can be cropped relevant to particular topic/concept being discussed in the section • Assign courses to students • Manage student grades, user profile, performance etc. • Interactive Digital Book • Native Android application • Provides graphically and multimedia rich learning experience • Has text, audio, video, animation, quiz, ppt, worksheets (to draw, write, scribble, note-taking) for every section/topic • Full length videos play only sections relevant to the particular section/topic • Dictionary, translation module also embedded • Also has forum for students to post doubts and discuss • Analytics • Tool to track student performance based on activity log • Measure what student learns? How long? What time of day? How many times? And many more criteria • Generate reports and feedback for students/teacher/parent • Quiz & Evaluation • Different format such as single correct, multiple choices, true/false, fill in the blanks, match, essay, and drag& drop • Both subjective and objective type Q/A can be evaluated • Objective type: Computer Evaluation • Subjective type: Unique peer evaluation where answers are sent to designated evaluators and final score collated together

6. Examination Management System: • The platform consists of a Central Server (CS), Exam Room Server (ERS) and the tablets in which the exam is taken • The CS is where the question paper, answer keys, exam centre details, students taking the exams and other exam related details are uploaded and stored in an encrypted format. • Each exam centre has ERS (laptops preferably) that communicate with the CS and can access the question paper. • The tablets run a unique ‘exam application’ - access the questions paper. • The questions are decrypted only on reaching the student tablet and they are in randomized order. • e Quiz and eEvaluation Application: • Objective Type: T/F, MCQ, Match, Fill in the Blanks • Subjective Type: ‘Moderated Evaluation’ – answers sent to assigned evaluators for manual correction - every question is sent to 3 assigned evaluators in order to compare the scores of the same question - and final score collated • Collaborative Learning Module: • Small group of 8-10 students can study as a group from remote locations • enables synchronous learning in real-time amongst students who cannot come together physically • Features: Document sharing, screen sharing, text/voice chat, live video streaming for video conferencing, and synchronous video viewing

7. IIT Kanpur • Port Magic: Teaching electronics with Aakash Tablet • The application is a standalone platform for creating, editing and compiling projects, and programming Arduino boards through USB port • Educational toolkit: for teaching the functioning of electronic components, sensors and other devices through the microcontrollers • Simple learning tool for understanding embedded programming concepts

8. Functional literacy: Hindi and English functional Vocabulary ( with Phonological awareness) • Words with picture cards • Functional Numeracy: Number concept, functional money concept, counting, identifying   different shapes and sizes. • Communication aid: Facilitates children to making their own choices to communicate about the things that they require for their daily living. For this create different blocks of picture card data-base for all the common needs and the things that the child will need to use at home and at school.

9. IIT Kharagpur • Development of an Online Repository of Picture Library: • Online repository of a set of more than 1200 standard icons that are used by people with Severe Speech and Motor Impairment (SSMI) to communicate their daily needs • Aakash Bani: • A Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA) is an electrical device that assists people who are unable to use natural speech to express their needs • Development of Talking Keyboard: • A talking keyboard is a specially designed tool that allows people with motor disorder to seamlessly type texts in android based tablets • Automatic scanning mechanisms and pre recorded audio files of individual alphabets that help the target population to type as well as listen to the typed letter

10. IIT Mandi • HangMan: A perfect educational game for people especially children/ teens/ students, Multiple game modes, Multiple Levels, Self-explanatory etc. • Educational Gaming Apps @IIT Mandi • Won the Second prize in the Aakash App Development competition conducted by IIT Guwahati. • Memorizer: Application related to memory. • Interesting exercise for memory and concentration. The exercise will help not only in academics but also in other activities. • MIPS Simulator: MIPS Simulator is a assembly language Simulator application, which is able to execute the MIPS instructions. @ MNIT Jaipur & IIT Mandi

11. IIT Mandi • My Doctor (Pregnancy Application): • Basic information based app about handling various issues related to pregnancy, in Hindi language. • Text-To-Speech Engine in Hindi language, Access Count and Duration Social Application’s • Feedback: To check practical visibility of the application, a thorough survey was conducted in rural area of distinct Mandi. • MGNREGA Survey Form: • A useful application for the on field survey on the development under MGNREGA • Other Applications : Doubt Buster, Easy Engineering, Data Structure Simulations, E-Blackboard, NoteMania, Aakash-Aurveda

12. IIT Guwahati Applications such as: • Speak2Learn • Formula App • Library book reminder app • Mess calorie calculator • Note taker

13. Student Training • Close to 1000 students have been trained from all AADLs put together • Impart training to students from different streams on Android application development • Common training module used across AADLs • Post training : Interested students are formed into groups and involved in application development of the AADL • Going forward: Conduct inter AADL trainings as well as competitions to enthuse students

14. Collaboration with eLearning Companies • MyEdutor: eBooks and digital content • Invention Labs: ‘Avaaz Doh’- English Language Tutor • Everest Edusys: Science and Math physical/digital exhibits and content for Primary & Middle School • MangoSense: Applications to create and read content in fun and interactive manner • BodhaGaya: Curriculum based Digital content along with animated story videos for Science & Math School children • Edutainment: Education-related application for games. Working on improving comprehension and observation skills of children • British Council: Spoken English and Employability based soft-skill imparting Short animated videos

15. Future work • More work on developing contents to be taken up Since AADLs have developed many applications. • Exam management application to be improved on efficiency. • More students need be trained

16. PRSG Recommendation • The PRSG of the project has met on 24th August 2013, reviewed the project and found progress satisfactory and has recommended release of Rs.1.5 Crores.