BHUBANESWAR: Going a step ahead in imparting online education to students during the lockdown, a senior faculty member of Rama Devi Women’s University here is now enabling his pupils to carry out practical assignments from home through virtual lab.
Bibudhendu Pati, HoD of Computer Science of the university, who had developed two virtual labs - Advanced Network Technologies and Software Engineering - nine years back is now using them as platforms to facilitate the UG and PG students to carry out their practical work apart from studying theory subjects online.
Students pursuing BSc, MSc, MPhil and PhD in Computer Science in the university are using the virtual lab for their practical assignments during the lockdown. The virtual lab portals are enabling students to conduct practical in Programming in C, object oriented programming, data structure, computer network, Java as well as software engineering.
"From instructions on how to conduct the practical on a given subject to the correctness of the work and the solution for error, everything is available in the portals. The portals are accessible to students anytime from anywhere and are absolutely free," Pati said.
He said that students pursuing BTech and MTech in Computer Science can also use them for their practical. Besides, the labs provide scope to students of Electronics to carry out practical on computer architecture, algorithm analysis and digital circuit.
"Though online theory classes are being offered using Zoom, Discord and A View, no educational institution in the State is providing practical classes to students online. The virtual lab, however, makes it possible," he said.
Pati said that he had developed the portals while working as a senior research fellow at IIT-Kharagpur during 2011-12. The portals were accepted by the Ministry of Human Resources Development and are available on www.vlab.co.in.