HP selects Anna varsity for its tech grant initiative

HP on Thursday announced 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) centre 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 Centre' that will be set up under the grant. Selected projects will receive support and mentorship.

"Anna University is one of the two universities in India that has successfully demonstrated how HP mobile technology can be integrated to redesign key courses to enhance teaching and student learning," said Adrian Koch, senior vice-president (personal systems group, Asia Pacific and Japan), HP.

"The grant aims to transform teaching through the use of mobile computing and wireless technologies to create the classroom of tomorrow, today, on its campus. This sits well with HP's aim to help universities drive innovation and create new models of success for integrating technology into learning," he added.

D Vishwanathan, vice-chancellor, Anna University, said, "We are pleased that a company like HP has chosen us for the 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 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.