The challenge of infinite choices

These are times of plentiful choices. In fact choices we have are practically infinite. Every bit of information that we get or encounter offers us a “potential” choice. Information is power and hence we are very powerful in this connected world powered by information and communication technologies (ICT). However we know that we are powerless unless we know what choice to consider. We are flooded with information.

We know success comes only through work and work is all about decision making – choosing right ones from a sea of choices. We control our destiny through the choices we make- what gets done and how we do it. Our choices determine our directions and therefore paths we take. So one of the eternal challenges is figuring out which few facts, bits and bytes are critical from all millions of pieces of information swirling around you- all that on a continuous, real-time basis.

Each one us must design her/his own method to tame this information overload and harness it in profitable manner. More is not always better at least in case information. What we need is figuring out RIGHT information sources and a straight forward way to reach it and procure information of relevance there. Winning with information is a step towards this. .

WebLab: A Place for students to explore web resources

WebLab

New Brave World of Web Resources
Today we have plenty of web resources available. These resources range for simple tools- information, communication, collaboration, networking to entrepreneurial resources such as API. Time has come to help our students explore this new opportunity.

What is a web lab?
WebLab is a place where students can learn and explore web resources- and verify their utilities through variety of activities. These activities may be carried by the teacher or students to explore, to learn, to stimulate interest and develop favorable attitude towards web resources.

Need and purpose of WebLab
Some of the ways in which a WebLab can contribute to the learning and subsequent harnessing of the web resources are:

• It provides an opportunity to students to understand and internalize the basic web resources through concrete applications
• It enables the students verify or discover several web resources and applications using search and explore techniques
• It helps students to build interest and confidence in learning and working with web resources
• The WebLab provides an opportunity to exhibit relatedness of web resources with everyday applications
• It gives greater scope for individual participation and exploration in the process of learning and becoming autonomous learners
• It provides scope for greater involvement of both mind and the hand which facilitates cognition
• The laboratory allows and encourages the students to think. Discuss with each other and the teacher and assimilate web resources in a more effective manner.
• It enables teacher to demonstrate, explain and reinforce abstract web resources by using concrete examples and uses.

Your comments towards this initiative are welcome.

Toward Web-based Endevours

Plentiful resources available on the web have created a new experimental and entrepreneurial opportunity: creating of web-based endeavors. A web-based Endeavour can be entrepreneurial or educational in nature. A Web-based endeavor is any project that harnesses a web-based resource in creating an end-user value or utility. For instance

• A custom search engine (CSE) eliminates for the end user the drudgery of going through a flood of general search engine outputs by conducting search action within a mentioned list of one or more web sites or resources. Here is an example of CSE that helps students to search for seminar topics.
• Search API enables a programmer to select a portion of search engine index and customize its output on a give web page or end-user screen. Here is an example or (example) in which search API is used to screen and filter a particular category of documents to be listed for the end user.
• Web API from different service provider can be combined in innovative manner to creative innovative values for intended user. Here is an example in which APIs from a social networking site Facebook and web service provider Google Maps are used to create an AlumniMaps. These maps help administrators such as principal and HOD’s to regularly know about the whereabouts of their alumni

The above examples are simple and straightforward and are used to create unitary end-user value. However innovative combination of web-based resources can make it possible to create industry-strength value proposition and enterprises based on them. Here is an example. and Indian example

Meeting My College Teacher: Update of 20 years

Last few days I spent attending my ailing mother who was admitted to a hospital in Mysore. One morning while I was on my way to hospital, I saw one saw a person moving slowly. I could faintly remember that face and while I came close to him, I said " Sir are u BMK?" Yes he said. BMK was my chemistry teacher while I doing my graduation in Sarada Vilas College, in Mysore during 82-85. Next few minutes he spent updating me about college, our old teachers and his colleagues. He said Prof. Janardhan Rao is now almost blind and is in Warrangal, with his daughter. Our mathematics teacher Prof Nagaraj Rao and another professor Narendra he said were no more. Prof. Nagarathna, Physics professor has moved to US after one of her son met with an accident. Later I visited college web site and noted that , Prof. Ashok Kumar is current principal and Prof. Nataraj is the vice principal. They taught us Botany and Kannada respectively. Those few minutes with BMK took me to two decades old memories.

IPR 2010: Unleashing Innovation and Patenting in Technical Institutions- REGIONAL WORKSHOP

It is a pleasure to inform you that IPR Cell @ SDM CET is organizing IPR 2010, a REGIONAL WORKSHOP on UNLEASHING INNOVATION AND PATENTING IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS on 6^th February 2010. This has been the interest and initiative of our Vice chancellor, Prof. Dr. H. P. Khincha, VTU, Belgaum.

The objective of the workshop is to provide technical awareness among the faculty fraternity to integrate various aspects of knowledge and practice of innovation and Intellectual property rights in teaching, project works and research. We are pleased to extend a warm invitation to you and your institution to take part in the regional workshop and make the occasion a great success.