Future of Learning conf IIM Bangalore

It was great to be back at IIMB for a conference. Future of Learning Conference on 4,5 Jan 2019 co-hosted with IITBx. It was indeed the best start of the new year, an academic conference loaded with great talks and discussions.

(L-R) Prof. Jos, Prof. Anant, Dr. Devi Shetty, Prof. Raghuram and Prof. Deepak Phatak

The conference focused on the ways and means by which we could connect the dots and look at Learning 4.0. Digitisation of learning content, its different modes of delivery, collaboration between different stakeholders, different MOOC platforms from around the world, the MOOC mindset etc.

Prof. Deepak Phatak, the earlier CS legend of my days, from IIT Bombay, now aged 70, was very active with his giant presence.

Prof. G. Raghuram, Director, IIMB, the host institute, gave an interesting welcome speech. There were almost 250 participants from different parts of the world.

A view of stage with Prof. Anant Agarwal, MIT and CEO EdX.

The inaugural talk was given by Dr Devi Shetty FRCS of Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore, the famed cardiac surgeon, who is the Chairman of the Board of Governors IIMB and holds the record for the maximum cardiac surgeries in the world, about 15K +. He was the personal doctor of Mother Teresa, the Saint of the gutters from Kolkata.

Dr Shetty was talking of the $8.2 trillion global healthcare and wellness industry. His stress was on mastering skills, which he felt was more important than gaining knowledge in the modern world if one is to go ahead..

Young performers from a school for visually challenged

Besides Dr Devi Shetty's talk, the highlights of the Conference were the heavyweight talks given by some of the stalwarts from the academic scene. Prof. Anant Agarwal, Prof, MIT and CEO EdX and Prof. Das Narayan Das , Sr. Associate Dean from Harvard Business School, Boston, US.

Prof. Anant Agarwal of MIT and CEO, EdX spoke of EdX Micromasters offered in different streams, 4 Micromasters MOOC degrees makes you eligible for a Degree at app 10-20 % of the actual costs of a Degree at MIT campus.

Prof, Shobhana and student presenting

There were presentations by MOOC leaders from Future Learn UK, campusIl from Israel, NPTEL from IIT Chennai, Swayam from MHRD Govt of India and so on. Academic accreditation leaders from AACSB also attended the conference.

Prof. Mrs. Shobhana Padmanabhan, CS faculty from Alliance College of Engineering and Design and her student presented a paper on Virtual Teaching Assistant.

I reported in my presentation a Blended MOOC experiment done in 2014-15 in Alliance Uty for my sem 3 MBA students, when MOOCs were free. (click here for the paper..)

Prof. Das Narayandas of Harvard BS

If my understanding is right, the blended MOOC experiment carried out at Alliance University (AU) by my students was the first in this part of the country. The students from AU had blended MOOC in 2014 itself, long, long before IIMB had embarked on the MOOC journey. It is only of late IIMB has started offering MOOC or blended MOOC. Our Good wishes for all success !!

IIMB now has with public funding good MOOC Recording Lab and studio and a dedicated team of Professors and staff to work on IIMBx. They have crossed 1 million MOOC course downloads and is doing a great job !! Good wishes !!

Prof. Anant Agarwal, MIT

Prof. Das Narayan Das, faculty of Marketing and Sr. Associate Dean of Harvard Business school spoke of his experiences with the future of Learning. He presented a concept called "Personal learning Cloud", which is to appear in the March '19 issue of Harvard Business Review. Prof. Das mentioned how we all have to be life long students if we need to excel in life .

The Conference went exceedingly fine, lot of interaction over 48 hours with luminaries from the MOOC and learning spectrum around the world. Great takeaways .. Fantastic time management, Great food, camaraderie and a great cultural programme by the visually challenged children from Bangalore.

As is with everything good, all good things have to come to an end. I have to really appreciate the great direction and coordination displayed by Prof PD Jose and his IITBx team throughout this conference making it memorable for all the participants.

Under Prof. Raghuram, the Director of IIMB, (my earlier Supply Chain Professor at IITB), the campus is very energised and carrying out great activities. Good wishes to them !!

george