Anna University gets HP Tech for Teaching grant

BANGALORE: HP

announced today that Anna

University has been awarded a Technology for Teaching Grant to transform the

way subjects are taught on its campus.

The university will receive approximately $70,000 worth of technology such as

HP Tablet PCs, external storage and optical drives, wireless networking cards

and printers, as well as a stipend for staff to work on the projects, which have

to be completed in 15 months.

HP will help Anna University establish a mobile learning (m-learning) center

where students taking Computer Science and IT courses can access content using

hand-held computers. The centre will maintain a portal and a digital library,

and assist with content management and development using an m-learning authoring

tool. Students will also be able to tap a server-based open

source wireless laboratory, built on existing low-end computers and wireless

technology. Enterprising students will be able to submit project proposals to a

Project Incubation Center that will be set up under this grant. Selected

projects will receive support and mentorship.

“Anna University is one of two universities in India that successfully

demonstrated how HP mobile technology could be integrated to redesign key

courses to enhance teaching and student learning”, said HPs Adrian Koch,

senior vice president, Personal Systems Group, Asia Pacific & Japan. “The

Grant aims at transforming teaching through the use of mobile computing and

wireless technologies to create the classroom of tomorrow, today, on its campus.

This sits well with HPs aim to help universities drive innovation and create new

models of success for integrating technology into learning.”

Dr. D. Vishwanathan, vice chancellor, Anna University said, “We are pleased

that a leading technology company like HP has selected us for this prestigious

Grant. Mobility

and wireless technology can bring down the barriers to learning and open up new

possibilities for teaching and learning. We look forward to making the best use

of this unique opportunity.”

The university will have a chance to meet and exchange ideas other University

awardees at the annual Worldwide HP Technology for Teaching Higher Education

conference to be held in early 2007.

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