IIT Kharagpur researchers design software for academia

NEW DELHI: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have developed an online-teaching software which uses one-way communication to reach students.

Named DEEKSHAK, the focus of the software is to concentrate on the teacher and on learning materials.

Developed by Raja Datta, professor, department of electronics and postgraduate students of electrical communication, the current version is designed to be used within a campus LAN.

The software consists of a single session platform where the teacher will concentrate on the screen and view queries in a live chat box where each student can send in their queries.

“Students also have access to a doubt box where they can click to “raise their hand” and wait for the teacher to address it, as is done in a physical classroom,” said Datta.

Teachers can also share documents with the students through the platform. They can also update notes on the documents in real-time.

A low bandwidth web-based software, it can be accessed using any computer or even cell phone.

The software ensures the feasibility of recording attendance of the students on the platform.

Tested at IIT Kharagpur during the initial phase of social distancing with about 40 hours of classes being conducted with a total of approximately 300 students.

“We need platforms addressing challenges faced by India. DEEKSHAK is designed to cater to Indian academia, be it the bandwidth issue, or user interface or storage. We are leaders in ICT and should find affordable solutions with social and commercial value. Itis one step towards that goal through which the teachers would be able to offer more personalized interaction while focusing better on the act of teaching,” said Virendra K Tewari, director, IIT Kharagpur.

The institute has applied for the copyright registration of DEEKSHAK .

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