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Centre for Research in Cognitive Systems (CRCS)

CRCS is a research centre in The NIIT Institute working broadly in the areas of education and information technology. It is a combination of both academic and industrial excellence. It provides a unique environment for exploration, improvisation and application of new technologies. With cognitive systems at the core, the Centre aims to contribute to the next generation of information science and technology through academic collaboration, research, development and industrial application.

CRCS is directing its efforts towards improving the effectiveness of education by adopting a constructivist’s approach to the presentation of information, exploring and using latest multimedia and Internet technologies and developing a sound and cognitive evaluation mechanism. Currently, its focus is on providing information with little or no intervention by a teacher through MIE or Minimally Invasive Education. It is also contributing towards making learning interesting and enjoyable by using learner-centred learning styles and creating simulations to give the learners an experience of the real-life environment.

In the process of pursuing these objectives, CRCS has contributed significant intellectual property to The NIIT Institute and to the world of knowledge at large. The details of these can be found in the subsequent sections.

Papers Published in International Peer Reviewed Journals

  1. Learning Through Teaching: Peer-mediated instruction in minimally invasive education Ritu Dangwal and Preeti Kapur, British Journal of Educational Technology, 2008
  2. Children’s learning processes using unsupervised “hole in the wall” computers in shared public spaces, Ritu Dangwal and Preeti Kapur, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2008
  3. Impact of Minimally Invasive Education on children: an Indian perspective Ritu Dangwal, Swati Jha and Preeti Kapur, British Journal of Educational Technology, 2005
  4. A model of how children acquire computing skills from “hole in the wall” computers in public places, Ritu Dangwal, Swati Jha, Shiffon Chatterjee and Sugata Mitra, Information Technologies and International Development, 2005
  5. Acquisition of computing literacy on shared public computers:children and the “hole in the wall”, Sugata Mitra, Ritu Dangwal, Shiffon Chatterjee, Swati Jha, Ravinder S. Bisht and Preeti Kapur Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2005
  6. Public computing, computer literacy and educational outcome: Children and computers in rural India, Dr. Ritu Dangwal, International Conference on Computers in Education, 2005
  7. ‘Hole-In-The-Wall’ Computer Kiosks Foster Mathematics Achievement – A comparative study Parimala Inamdar, International Forum of Educational Technology & Society (IFETS), 2007
  8. Improving English Pronunciation: An Automated Instructional Approach Sugata Mitra, James Tooley, Parimala Inamdar, Pauline DixonThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Technologies and International Development, 2003
  9. Experiments with Aplusix in Four Countries Jean Francois Nicaud, Marilena Bittar, Hamid Chaachoua, Parimala Inamdar, Laura Maffei International Journal for Technology in Mathematics Education, 2005
  10. Computer skills development by children using ‘hole in the wall’ facilities in rural India Parimala Inamdar, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2004
  11. Public-Private Partnership in a Minimally Invasive Education Approach Dr. Swati Jha and Shiffon Chatterjee, International Education Journal, 2005, 6(5), 587- 597
  12. Self organising systems for mass computer literacy: Findings from the ‘Hole in the Wall’ experiments , Dr. Sugata Mitra, International Journal of Development Issues, 2005
  13. Children and the Internet: Experiments with minimally invasive education in India Dr. Sugata Mitra and Vivek Rana, The British Journal of Educational Technology, 2001

Patents Granted

  1. An Improved Multi-channel/Multilingual, Multimode Wireless Audio Transmitter and Receiver System, Patent no. 217110, Granted by Indian Patent Office, Inventors: Sanjay Gupta and Shashank Kapil
  2. An Improved Touch Sensitive Input Device for Computers, Patent no. 217558, Granted by Indian Patent Office, Inventors: Sanjay Gupta, Meera S Datta and Vivek Rana
  3. A Fault Tolerant Computing Device, Patent no. 217595, Granted by Indian Patent Office, Inventors: Shailender Minz, Sugata Mitra and Sanjay Gupta
  4. Cognitive Kiosk for Rural, Outdoor and Tropical Environments, Patent no. 217117, Granted by Indian Patent Office, Inventors: Sugata Mitra and Vivek Rana

Patents Applied for

  1. System and Method for Interactive Learning, Application No. 344/DEL/2008
  2. System and Method for Computer-Assisted Experimentation for sound, Application no. 707/Del/2005
  3. System and Method for Computer-Assisted Experimentation for heat, Application no. 2064/Del/2005
  4. Patent of addition for “An Improved Multi-channel/Multilingual, Multimode Wireless Audio Transmitter and Receiver System”, Application No. 1809/Del/2006
  5. Method and system for Remote Monitoring of a Kiosk, Application No. 1797/DEL/2004
  6. System and Method for Computer-Assisted Experimentation for Electricity, Application No. 343/Del/2004
  7. Perception Recording System, Application No. 843/DEL/2004

Award and honours won by CRCS Staff Members

  1. Smart Science Station: Computer Aided Experience, UNESCO Certificate of Commendation in Education Planner Administrator Category
  2. Parimala Inamdar nominated as Member International Scientific Committee of the International Network of Excellence in Technology Enhanced Learning – ‘Kaleidoscope’ – Europe.
  3. The Raizada award for the best paper of 1999 from the Computer Society of India, 1999.
  4. The “Best ICT story” award from the IICD at the World Bank’s Global Knowledge II conference in Kuala Lumpur, March 2000.
  5. The “Best Social Innovation of the year 2000” award from the Institute for social inventions, UK, 2000.
  6. The “Man for Peace” award for Dr. Sugata Mitra, 2002, from the Together For Peace Foundation, Italy, 2002
  7. Finalist, World Technology Awards, education category, World Technology Network, San Francisco, June, 2003
  8. The Dewang Mehta award for innovation in IT, Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India, 2005
  9. Third Prize in Internet PIC 2000 Contest (Internet Application Category), Organised by Microchip Inc and Circuit Cellar, USA
  10. Award for Excellence in R&D in Electronics, 1995, awarded by Dept. of Electronics , Govt. of India