Educational Multimedia Research Centre, Anna University Chennai
The Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMMRC), Anna University Chennai, Chennai is one of the seventeen media centres in India, established in 1985 as Audio Visual Research Centre (AVRC), by the University Grants Commission with an objective of disseminating knowledge in the field of Science and Technology to society through Educational Television (ETV) programmes using electronic media.
The University Grants Commission task force on Educational Television has set forth the following objectives for the media centres:
® To upgrade, update and enrich the quality of education through television and radio.
® To introduce the newly emerging knowledge using media in education.
® To take the educational television to the remote and accessible parts of the country.
® To produce interactive multimedia learning materials.
® To provide training in audio / video / multimedia production.
It began its programme production in the year 1987. The Centre is concentrating on programme production on syllabus oriented lecture series in various subjects for undergraduate students. The Centre has produced a number of programmes in various subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering, Philosophy, Chinese Language, Japanese Language, History and Documentary, etc are as follows.
® Documentary programmes = 460
® Video lecture programmes = 757
® e-content programmes = 234
® e-content under NME ICT = 84
Multimedia e-contents have also been developed in various subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Philosophy, Chinese Language, Japanese Language and History. Now the Centre is concentrating on producing e-content material in Computer Science and Engineering.
Edusat Connectivity - Satellite Interactive Terminal (SIT)
EDUSAT is the first Indian Satellite built exclusively for serving the educational sector. It was launched in September 2004 by the ISRO. The satellite based distance education system enables virtual classrooms at rural and remote locations across the country. Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) has started two-way audio-video communication through EDUSAT network from 5th September 2005. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) set up a nationwide multi-user educational network in its EDUSAT national Ku - band.
Satellite Interactive Terminal (SIT)
The CEC/UGC network is one of the six selected user networks, operating independently with their user terminals anywhere in the main land of India. It has one main teaching end along with remote Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs) and Receive Only Terminals (ROTs). This network has more than 58 SITs located at all EMMRCs, Academic Staff Colleges (ASCs) and in various Indian universities.
EMMRC, Chennai has the unique distinction of having Tamilnadu's first Satellite Interactive Terminal (SIT) capable of transmitting and receiving two-way audio, video signals under Ku -band of EDUSAT network with Digital Video Broadcast-Return Channel Satellite (DVB-RCS) technology. The Internet Protocol (IP) address of the SIT is 172.19.26.2. The application software is used for interaction between SIT to SIT, HUB to SIT and SIT to SUB-HUB (teaching end).
Video LAN Connection (VLC) media player software is used for streaming and multicasting video and audio at teaching end and for receiving multicast stream at class room end. Net Meeting for point to point / unicast video conferencing can be loaded in personal computer for interaction with SIT terminals and hub through audio-video mode, chat mode and file transfer.
Any SIT (including ROT) installed in EDUSAT network may receive any stream with correct multicast IP and port. Hence the Centre is able to receive multicast video stream from five other user networks namely Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), [Central Institute of Education Technology, National Council for Educational Research and Training (CIET,NCERT)], National Institute of Technical Teachers' Training and Research (NITTTR),Vigyan Prasar and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). CEC has put up Learning Object Repository (LOR), Video on Demand (VOD) and e-content modules on various subjects.
It is available on CEC website : www.cec-ugc.org and http://172.19.L2/ceclive through EDUSAT network.
The Centre is actively participating in Satellite Interactive Terminal (SIT) as receiving and teaching end. The Centre has arranged for interactive sessions with the experts from Geology, Physics, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Management, Philosophy and Library & Information Science.
Other activities of EMMRC, Chennai
1.NME ICT PROJECT
University Grants Commission has sanctioned Rs.50 lakhs for e-content programmes (web based) funded by Ministry of Human Resource Development , Govt. of India, New Delhi. The following subjects have been allotted for e-content. ® B.Sc., Computer Science ® B.Sc. (Gen.) Mathematical Science ® B.Arch ® B.Sc. (Hons) Polymer Science ® B.Sc. Applied Physical Sciences (Electronics) ® B.Sc. Applied Physical Sciences (Environmental Science)
2. Workshops (International and National)
® Training -cum-workshop on Multimedia for Directors of UGC Media Centres in August 2003.
® International workshop for Community Radio station Managers during December 13-18, 2004
funded by the Commonwealth of Learning with the support of UNESCO.
® Script Writing for Educational TV held on March 18, 2005.
® Young Voices for Disc Jockey and Video Jockey held from August 1-7, 2005 with INTER NEWS and UNICEF.
® Script Writing for Electronic Media Programme from December 6-8,2006.
® Science for Women Phase II Capacity Building workshop for Women from March 6-12,2008.
® Second Capacity Building Workshop for Functional Community Radio Station Managers during February 10-11,2009.
® ETV/e-content workshop for Academicians, Scholars, Technologists and Engineers conducted on 29-30 January 2010
® Easy Now workshop for Academicians, Scholars, Technologists and Engineers on 1- 5 February 2010.
3. Trainings
® A five-day training programme on creating awareness on utilization of multimedia to the faculty members of Directorate of Teacher Education Research and Training (DTERT) by media and academic experts.
® Capacity Building and Personality Development programme for youth from April 11-13,2007.
® Health & Nutrition for women from August 7-9, 2007 with Health Centre, Anna University.
® Three days training programme on YOGA for women and children from September 25- 27, 2007 with Health Centre, Anna University.
® Three days computer training programme for women, phase II from November 20-22, 2007 with Centre for Women Empowerment, Anna University.
® Two day training programme on Media and Documentation for Women Development from 9-10th August 2011.