July 16, 2011
School of Engineering, Coimbatore
 

In June 2011, a fuel cell-powered electric nose wheel aircraft taxied around a Hamburg airport, signifying yet another crucial step forward in the alternative energy resource movement.
 

It is estimated that such nose wheels can reduce airline green house gas emissions by up to 19%.
 

This is just one way thermodynamics is altering the world we live in, for the better.
 

Simply put, thermodynamics is the study of energy, its various transformations, and its ability to do work.
 

In a recent ten day workshop on Thermodynamics in Mechanical Engineering, 800 faculty members from 36 colleges throughout the nation came together to learn more about its applications.
 

In order to come together, however, most did not have to travel. They attended from the comfort of their own campuses. A few traveled to a nearby college to attend.
 

For example, Amrita’s Coimbatore campus, which was a remote center, hosted not only its own faculty members but also several from colleges such as Annamalai University, Chidambaram; Nehru Institute of Technology and Science, Coimbatore and Karpagam University, Coimbatore.
 

Facilitating their learning was Amrita’s versatile e-learning tool, A-View (Virtual Interactive E-Learning World), which allowed for this distinct educational approach.
 

The workshop was led by eminent Professors U.N. Gaitonde and U. V. Bhandarkar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Bombay.
 

In addition, supervised by remote center coordinators, tutorial and lab sessions were conducted at each remote site where participants completed assignments and online tests. Karthick S., Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, helped to coordinate the event at the Coimbatore campus.
 

Prof. Kannan Moudgalya of IIT-Bombay was the chief guest at the valedictory function.
 

This was the fourth such nation-wide workshop conducted through A-View and the first in Mechanical Engineering. Similar workshops in Heat Transfer, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Embedded Systems, and Solar Photovoltaics are being planned.
 

The state-of-the-art teaching style facilitated by A-View was well-received by participants.
 

“One of the biggest benefits of the A-View platform is that it can connect faculty from across the country and abroad,” said Dr. Mukta Atrey, Project Manager, Department CSE, IIT Bombay.
 

Funded as part of the National Mission on Education through ICT, A-View enables contemporary learning that reaches beyond geographical boundaries to connect people from all cultures and educational backgrounds.
 

A-View is transforming lives by transforming education.