SATELLITE BASED INTER ACTIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING
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SATELLITE BASED
INTER ACTIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
FOR
DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING - extracted text
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SATELLITE BASED
INTER-ACTIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
FOR
DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING
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INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANISATION
DEPARTMENT OF SPACE
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
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SATELLITE BASED INTER-ACTIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
FOR DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING
It has been the constant endeavour of the Indian Space Research Organisation to use
Space Technology in assisting the process of development in the country. Several experiments
and demonstrations have been conducted to this end. As part of New SATCOM applications,
experiments and demonstrations using satellite based inter-active communication system for
development, training and continuing education have been conducted in collaboration with user
agencies.
The major emphasis is in using 'one-way video and two-way audio system with talkback' facility through INSAT satellites. In this interactive system, the 'teaching end' com
prises of a studio where the experts deliver, either live or through pre-recorded tapes, the
lectures on the subject. These lectures in TV form (video and audio) are transmitted to the
satellite through a large earth stations which is linked or collocated with the studio. The satel
lite relays back the TV signals for reception directly by small satellite terminals and TV sets at
'class-rooms' which are distant and widely spread. The participants at the 'class-room' can
ask questions to the experts present at the 'teaching-end' on an audio channel through the satel
lite terminals located at the class rooms via satellite. At the ' teaching-end' the questions re
ceived from a 'class-room' are looped back on the audio channel of the TV signal emanating
from the teaching-end so that the questions can be heard at all 'class rooms'. The response to
the question by the expert goes on the TV signal and is received by all the class rooms. This
mode of interaction essentially simulates an environment as if the entire learning process is
being carried out in a conventional class-room. Some of the 'class-rooms' which are not
equipped with satellite talk-back terminals can ask the questions to the teaching-end on normal
STD lines. A more detailed description of the system is given in Appendix-1.
Details of some of the Application Demonstrations/Experiments that have been
conducted since 1991 are given in Appendix-2.
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Appendix-1
SATELLITE BASED INTER-ACTIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM:
DESCRIPTION OF BASIC ELEMENTS
A diagram of me configuration of the system is given in Fig. 1. Elements of the system
and their functions are briefly described below:
Also known as a "one-way video, two-way audio" system or the "Tklk-Back" system,
this network consists of a teaching end which originates the training material either in the
form of "live" lectures or recorded video programmes and uplinks these television signals to a
geostationary communication satellite by means of an "uplink" earth station which is located
at the teaching end.
The satellite receives, amplifies and retransmits these signals over a wide coverage
area, which can theoretically be as large as one-third of the earth's surface. These signals can
be received at any location within the coverage area by means of a Direct Reception System
(DRS) - a low-cost dish antenna of 8-12' diameter, front-end electronics and an ordinary tele
vision receiver.
The classrooms for the learners can be located anywhere within India (say) if a
satellite of the INSAT system is used. A certain number of these classrooms can be provided
with the capability to interact with the teaching end by means of a voice link. This voice
link can be implemented in two ways. One, through the Public Switched Telephone Network
by means of dial-up long-distance telephone to specific telephone numbers at the teaching
end. These calls are received by a small EPABX located at the teaching end. These calls are
received by a small EPABX located at the teaching end. Two, through a small satellite
communication terminal located in the classroom which transmits the processed audio signal
via satellite to the teaching end where they are received and processed. Facilities for reception
of such satcom signals are provided at the teaching end. Classrooms where such interactive
(telephone or satcom) capabilities are provided are known as "talkback" locations. Other
classrooms are known as "receive-only" locations. The number of talkback locations in a
system are limited by the system's capacity to receive simultaneously, and process questions
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from various talkback locations. The number of receive-only classrooms are not limited by any
such considerations.
A talkback or discussion session normally follows delivery of training material from
the teaching end.
A small studio setup at the teaching end serves two purposes: to originate "live” or
recorded lectures and to accommodate the panel of experts who will participate in the talkback
sessions. The studio is linked to the uplink earth station in the forward direction for
transmission and in the reverse direction for routing calls received from satcom talkback loca
tions to the studio.
Calls received via telephone and satcom are fed to the expert panel at the studio class
room. They are simultaneously fed to the transmit chain at the teaching end earth station.
Questions are heard "live" by the experts as well as participants at all locations (talkback and
receive-only). Specially devised procedures for putting telephone calls on "hold" and feeding
them sequentially to the expert panel (one at a time) have been developed. Participation from
satcom terminals is invited by visual cuing. An anchorperson in the teaching end classroom
conducts the talkback sessions and implements the procedures devised for the talkback ses
sions.
Visual image of the classroom at the teaching end and the audio signal generated by the
experts are transmitted by the uplink earth station and received by all classrooms which are
equipped with a DRS. Thus even receive-only locations which are not equipped with talkback
facilities can receive the training material as well as the entire talkback session.
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FIG-TNETWORK CONFIGURATION FOR SATELLITE-BASED INTERACTIVE
BROADCASTING NETWORK FOR TRAINING.
INSAT SPACECRAFT
A
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SATCOM TALKBACK
TERMI NAL+DRS
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MIC
SATCOM TALKBACK
LOCATIONS
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STD
TV
_ -q UP LINK
EARTH
| STU DIO __
STATION
T /b T
TELEPHONE
LINES
TEACHING END
/K
V-TRANS /computer graphics by vitthal gharpure
DRS
RECEIVE ONLY
LOCATIONS
TELEPHONE TALKBACK
LOCATIONS
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________________TELEPHONE
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vpg/decu/lsro
TALKBACK
Appendix-2
SUMMARY OF
APPLICATION DEMONSTRATIONS/EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED
A total of seven collaborative experiments/demonstrations have been conducted be
tween 1991-93 using the satellite based inter-active communication system configuration. The
following is the list of these seven Experiments:
i)
Experiment on Training of Adult Education Trainers - February 1991
ii)
ISRO-UGC Experiment for Country Wide Class Room - November 1991
iii)
ISRO-NPC Experiment on Continuing Education in Industry - February 1992
iv)
Experiment for Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development - July 1992
v)
ISRO-IETE Experiment in Continuing Education - August-September 1992
vi)
ISRO-IGNOU Experiment in Distance Education - October 1993
vii)
ISRO-AIMA Experiment in Distance Education - October 1993
Brief description of each of the experiments is given in this Appendix.
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I Experiment on Training of Adult-Education Trainees
The first in the series of experiments on the use of satellite based interactive communi
cation system was carried out by ISRO jointly with Gujarat Vidyapeeth. The three day experi
ment was carried out as a part of the ongoing ' Saksharata Abhiyan* programme from 25-27
February, 1991. The teaching-end was located at the Ahmedabad Earth Station (AES) of ISRO
and the two class rooms were located at Rupal Village (Gandhinagar District, Gujarat) and
Gujarat Vidyapeeth (Ahmedabad).
During the experiment, lectures dealing with Adult Education were delivered from AES
by the faculty of Gujarat Vidyapeeth. These were transmitted via the INSAT-1B satellite and
were received at the two class rooms which were equipped with the satellite terminals. The
training was attended by more than 40 trainers. After viewing the lectures/video programmes ,
the participants at the class rooms asked questions to the faculty at AES on a audio channel via
the satellite terminals and got clarifications.
This experiment which was well received with enthusiastic participation by both the
Faculty and the trainees, provided valuable inputs in the designing of the satellite based interac
tive system for distance teaching and underlined the potential of such a system for several other
applications.
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Experiment on Training of Adult Education Trainers (Feb. 25-27, 1991)
Collaborating Agencies
Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad
Application Area
Training of Adult Education Trainers
Duration
3 days
Transmission hours per day
3 hours
Total No. of Participants
45
Duration of one lecture
13 lectures ("live" and "canned) of
25 minutes each
Duration of talkback session
15 sessions of 15 minutes each
Space Segment used
INSAT-1B
Teaching end
Ahmedabad Earth Station (AES)ZISRO at
Ahmedabad
Class Room Locations
Three: Rupal Village, Gujarat Vidyapeeth
and AES
Satellite Ihlkback locations
One (Rupal)
Telephone Talkback locations
One (Gujarat Vidyapeeth)
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II ISRO-UGC Experiment for Country Wide Class Room
Under its “Countrywide Classroom (CWCR)" programme initiated in August 1984, the
Ui/versity Grants Commission (UGC) has been telecasting educational TV programmes for
two hours on every working day. The S-band transponder on INSAT-ID, which is presently
used for Doordarshan’s (DD) national/network transmissions, broadcasts these programmes for
reception and redistribution by DD’s transmitter network.
The CWCR has attracted a dedicated viewership, not only among students but also
among people from diverse walks of life. The UGC has been looking for ways to enhance the
effectiveness of CWCR transmissions. Towards this, UGC and ISRO have jointly carried out
an experiment in the use of a satellite based interactive communication system for six days
from 25-30 November, 1991 as a part of the CWCR programme.
For this experiment, Delhi Earth Station (DES) of ISRO was configured as teaching
end to transmit via INSAT-ID satellite, the UGCs countrywide classroom programme with a
small TV studio setup at the Earth Station. Two satellite-based talk-back terminals were de
ployed at Imphal and Jodhpur. Six media research centres located at Ahmedabad, Calcutta,
Hyderabad, Madurai, Patiala and Roorkee were provided with STD telephones for the purpose
of asking questions to the subject experts present at the teaching-end. As the programme was
rebroadcast live by all the transmitters as a regular programme of UGCs CWCR, a large
number of students and other viewers all over the country were also able to see the pro
grammes, listen to the questions and answers and share the experience.
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ISRO-UGC Experiment for Country Wide Class Room (Nov. 25-30, 1991)
Collaborating Agencies
Consortium for Educational
Communication of the UGC
Application Area
Enrichment Programme in the area
of science, arts and commerce for
undergraduate students
Duration
6 days
Transmission hours per day
1 hour
Total No. of participants
30 in each location
Duration of one lecture
20 minutes each (12 taped programmes)
Duration of Tklkback session
10 minutes each (one per programme)
Space segment used
INSAT-ID
Teaching end
ISRO’s Delhi Earth Station
Class Room Locations
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Telephone Talkback locations
Patiala, Roorkee, Pune, Ahmedabad,
Hyderabad, Calcutta
Satcom Ihlkback locations
Jodhpur, Imphal
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ISRO-NPC Experiment on Continuing Education in Industry
The experiment was conducted during 3-7 February, 1992 for Industrial workers. This
was in collaboration with National Productivity Council (NPC) and industrial undertakings like
HAL, BEML, HMT and L&T using INSAT-IB satellite. This experiment explored the use of
satellite technology for interaction/communication between industrial employees/ workers and
experts in the context of a training course on maintenance engineering and supervisory mana
gerial skills. The Teaching-end was at ISTRAC, Bangalore. Participants were from:
HAL/BEML (Bangalore), L&T/IIFFT (Kansbahal), HMT (Pinjore) Talk-back via satellite
(DRS); and HAL (Nasik), HMT-BHEL-HAL/Hyderabad, BEML/KGF, NPC/Madras and
L&T/Powai, Bombay, T&lk-back using STD telephones.
The training was conducted through satellite broadcasts of classroom lectures supported
by computer graphics, prerecorded actual shop floor situations, and other audio visual aids.
The lectures were followed by questions/discussions from various participating centers through
the talk-back network. More than 200 participants from these industries were trained. For this
training program 20 video lectures of a total duration 500 minutes were produced.
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ISRO-NPC Experiment on Continuing Education in Industry (Feb. 3-7, 1992)
Collaborating Agencies
National Productivity Council Industries:
L&T, BEML, HMT, HAL
Application Area
Training in Maintenance Engg. and
Interpersonal Relations
Duration
6 days
Transmission hours per day
3 hours (average)
Total No. of Participants
213
Duration of one lecture
14 lectures of 30 minutes average
Duration of talkback session
10 sessions of 30 minutes average
Space Segment used
INSAT-1B
Teaching end
ISTRAC Campus (ISRO), Peenya,
Bangalore
Class Room Locations
9 (incl. one at teaching end)
Satellite Tklkback locations
3 (Bangalore, Kansbahal and Pinjore)
Telephone Iklkback locations
5 (Nasik, KGF, Madras, Bombay and
Hyderabad)
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IV
Experiment for Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development
The Planning Commission has recommended that Integrated Development Action Plans
with emphasis on sustainable development using science and technology inputs should be
prepared for 156 districts. It has further recommended that formulation of the action plans with
NRSA - DOS as nodal agency be undertaken in six pilot districts which are representative
basic development problems encountered the grassroot levels.
District Bhiwani in Haryana was one of the above six districts identified for this pilot
project, of Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development. Based on the Action Plan jointly
prepared by National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) of Department of Space and Haryana
Remote Sensing Applications Centre, Video lectures (20 in number) on various agriculture
related subjects (including a couple of lectures on Home Science) were planned, designed and
recorded by DECU/ISRO production units in the field.
The experiment was successfully conducted from August 3 - 8, 1992. The teaching-end
cum hub-station was the Delhi Earth Station (DES), and DRS with talkback facility was pro
vided at four locations (class rooms) Tosham, Charki Dadri, Loharu and Bhiwani using
INSAT-2A. Large number of farmers and extension workers participated in this experiment.
The resource persons were from the Haryana Agriculture Univeristy.
This was the first experiment in providing communication support for the implementation of
Action Plan derived from Remote Sensing Data.
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IV
Experiment for Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (August 3-8, 1992)
Colloborating Agencies
NRSA-HARSAC-Govt. of HaryanaHaryana Agricultural University
Application Area
Extension Education(Communication
support for Integrated Mission for
Sustainable Development)
Duration
6 days
Transmission hours per day
3 hours 20 minutes (average)
Total No. of Participants
240
Duration of one lecture
19 of 22 minutes (average)
Duration of talkback session
19 of 20 minutes (average)
Space Segment used
INSAT-2A
Teaching end
Delhi Earth Station (ISRO), New Delhi
Class Room Locations
Four
Satellite Tklkback Locations
Loharu, Charkhi Dhadri, Tosham and
Bhiwani
Telephone Tklkback locations
Nil
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ISRO-IETE Experiment in Continuing Education
The Centre for Distance Education (CDE) of IETE has been conducting correspond
ence courses for its student members appearing for AMIETE Examinations. There is a great
demand from the student community for correspondence course in the field of electronics and
communication. The usual mode of material distribution by mail is not interactive, hence ques
tions asked by students can not be answered by expert in real time. The use of two way audio
and one way video communication system was considered attractive.
An experiment in satellite based continuing education was conducted jointly with IETE
from August 24 to September 2, 1992. Participants were spread over nine locations Delhi,
Hyderabad, Pune and Bangalore were connected through Satellite Talk-back (DRS). Bhuba
neshwar, Jabalpur, Dehradun, Bombay and Vijayawada were connected by STD.
DECU/ISRO's TV Studio at Ahmedabad was the Teaching end.
This experiment was spread over 10 days. The two subjects selected for the experiment
were (i) Electron devices and circuits, (ii) Electromagnetic fields and waves. Twenty syllabus
based lectures were delivered by experts from the IIT's and IISc to the electronics and
communications students of IETE. Class room type "live” lectures were followed by question
and answer sessions.
In this experiment, in contrast to the earlier experiments, the lectures were entirely in
the "live" mode. The lectures were planned in eight weeks (to carry out the 10 day course of 2
hours per day) and involved exhaustive pre-telecast design, and rehearsals with pre-designed
visual materials. The number of listening talkback centers was 10 with 400 and above 'distant'
students participating. Conducting 2 hour live transmission every day required the producers
and engineers to work in close collaboration with resource persons for smooth operations. The
Experiment was conducted on broadcast mode via INSAT-2A with uplinking from Ahmedabad
Earth Station (AES).
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ISRO-IETE Experiment in Continuing Education (Aug. 24-Sept. 2, 1992)
Collaborating Agencies
Institution of Electronics and Tele
communicate Engineers
Application Area
Continuing Education for Professionals
(Circuits and Microwave Devices)
Duration
10 days
Transmission hours per day
2 hours 30 minutes
Total No. of Participants
60 per classroom
Duration of one lecture
40 minutes
Duration of talkback session
30 minutes
Space-segment used
INSAT-2A
Teaching end
Ahmedabad Earth Station, ISRO,
Ahmedabad
Class Room Locations
10 (including one at teaching end)
Satellite Iklkback locations
4 (Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore)
Telephone Thlkback locations
5 (Bombay, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur,
Vijayawada and Dehra Dun)
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VI
ISRO-IGNOU Experiment in Distance Education
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) set up in 1985 provides access
to higher education to large segments of the population. It organises programmes of continu
ing education and special programmes of higher education for specific target groups. IGNOU
is also the apex body for the Open Universities and distance education institutions in the coun
try. With its requirements spread across the country, IGNOU is an organisation with multi
location centres. It has been looking at various technologies, especially satellite based, which
could help in its distance education programmes.
ISRO-IGNOU carried out between October 4-13, 1993 an experiment on the use of
satellite-based inter-active communication system for distance education. The target groups for
this ten-day experiment were Regional Directors, Counsellors and students of Post-Graduate
Diploma in Higher Education. The teaching-end was the IGNOU Studio at its Campus in New
Delhi. The Transportable Remote Area Communication Terminal (TRACT) of ISRO shifted to
IGNOU campus provided the up-link earth station facility. The transmissions were carried via
the Extended C-band Transponder of INSAT-2B. The experiment covered more than 500
participants over ten Centres of IGNOU.
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ISRO-IGNOU Experiment in Distance Education (October 4-13, 1993)
Collaborating Agencies
Indira Gandhi National Open
University (IGNOU)
Application Area
i)
Extended Contact Programme for
students of PG Diploma Course
in Higher Education
ii)
Training of Counsellors
iii)
Interaction with Regional Directors/
Assistant Regional Directors
4
Duration
10 days
Transmission hours per day
5 hours
Total No. of Participants
525
Duration of one session
(lecture 4- talkback)
90 minutes each
(38 sessions for the 3 participant groups)
Space Segment used
INSAT-2B (Extended C-band Transponder)
Teaching End
ISRO's Transportable Communication
Terminal (TRACT) and Studio at IGNOU
Campus, New Delhi
Class Room Locations
10
Telephone Thlkback locations
Bhopal, Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad,
Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Madras,
Cochin, Shillong
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VII
ISRO-AIMA Experiment in Distance Education
The Centre for Management Education (CME) of the All India Management Associa
tion (AIMA) has launched a new project called META (Management Education through
Technological Advancement) to deliver high-quality management education. One major facet
of which is the interactive satellite channel.
The configuration set-up for the ISRO-IGNOU experiment was used by the AIMA
CME to conduct its distance education programmes in management to its students of Post
Graduate Diploma in Management as well as Management Members of local management
associations at ten locations in the country. This three-day experiment conducted during 14-16
October, 1993 covered more than 300 paticipants.
’’ ' r- ‘
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ISRO-AIMA Experiment on Distance Education (October 14-16, 1993)
Collaborating Agencies
Centre for Management Education of the
All-India Management Association (AIMA)
Application Area
Lectures in Management to student of
the AIMA Diploma Course in Management
Duration
3 days
Transmission hours per day
3 hours*
Total No. of Participants
30 per location
Duration of one session
(lecture/panel discussion 4-talkback)
90 minutes each
Space Segment used
INSAT-2B (Extended C-band transponder)
Teaching end
ISRO's Transportable Communication
Terminal (TRACT) and Studio at IGNOU
Campus, New Delhi
Class Room Locations
10
Telephone Tklkback locations
Bhopal, Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad,
Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Madras,
Cochin, Shillong
*
During a few sessions, transmission of print support materials in fax mode through
insertion of data in the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) of the TV signal, also known
as "faxcast", was carried out.
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