BITS Pilani opts for collaborative learning

Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani has opted for collaborative learning using Cisco's TelePresense videoconferencing and WebEx technologies.

BITS Pilani along with BITSAA International have successfully deployed the immersive, high-definition videoconferencing to connect cross-campus. The network will enable student-faculty collaboration within and beyond the campus walls by connecting 11,000+ students and 700 faculty members to provide them with access to business leaders and .

Set to transform the learning experience through unparalleled campus-connectivity, this platform is aimed at creating a dynamic and collaborative learning environment by connecting classrooms through a MPLS - based data network.

The new virtual lecture facility will offer immersive, high-definition visual communications - enabling all students, regardless of location, to collaborate and participate as if they were in the same room as one another and their professor. The initiative will benefit over 11,000 students and 700 teachers and provide them with access to business leaders and guest lecturers located around the globe, enabling collaborative research and interactive learning a routine part of their lives.

This deployment will increase collaboration, foster innovation, enhance productivity, and streamline administration. The facility will also offer 14 specialized electives to hundreds of students across its three campuses.

BITS will also utilize the Cisco® Capture, Transform, Share (CTS) video platform to enable professors to record lectures and make those lectures available for replay. This provides access to key content from any location and at any time, increasing the value and reach of each lecture and classroom discussion. The technology provides an enhanced learning experience to students, through collaboration with students and faculty from other campuses.

BITS will be able to bring experts from across the globe for guest lectures, workshops, and other academic pursuits and students from all the three campuses can have real time interaction with the experts. BITS plans to leverage this technology for campus placements and faculty recruitments.

Bijendra Nath Jain, vice-chancellor, BITS Pilani said ""BITSConnect 2.0, which is built on Cisco technology, comes at a time when the Institute is on its way to become a top research-led university in Asia. This joint University-Alumni initiative will provide seamless integration of all campuses; create new avenues of research collaboration and knowledge sharing among faculty, students and researchers worldwide. BITSConnect 2.0 initiative will further strengthen industry linkage and enable remote placements with minimal travel costs to prospective employers."

Prem Jain, chief mentor, BITSConnect 2.0 said "It heralds a new era for technology-enabled education in India and has the capability to bring speakers from anywhere in the world almost alive into the classroom at BITS and open endless possibilities for pedagogy and research. We are confident that this new initiative will be a big step towards achieving our joint goal to have our alma mater among the top research-driven institutions in Asia by 2020."

Minhaj Zia, director, Collaboration Sales, Cisco India & SAARC said "BITS Pilani is one of the leading institutes in India focused on imparting quality education and creating a distinctive environment for research and innovation. While they have been on the cutting-edge of technology use for years, this initiative is taking that to a new level and will foster new methods of collaboration, enrich the in-class experience, and help better utilize school resources."