Software-Training
Contents
About SELF Workshops
The Spoken Tutorial project is about teaching and learning a particular FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) like Linux, Scilab, LaTeX, PHP & MySQL, Java, C/C++, LibreOffice etc. via an easy Video tool - Spoken Tutorials. Some of the salient features of SELF (Spoken Tutorial based Education and Learning through Free FOSS study) Workshops are as follows.
- This distance education method is highly conducive to self-learning.
- Once one gets started any student or faculty can master the FOSS.
- UG, PG or research scholar students and even teachers of Science, IT, Engineering, Commerce, Management, MCA disciplines can learn any of the FOSS.
- Typically, the first workshop at any college is of 2 hours duration. Timing at the group's convenience.
- To start of, any college which is organising the workshop needs to get a computer lab ready with machines that support sound and have internet connectivity. There is no lower or upper limit on the number of participants. This just depends on the number of computers available. For additional participants, laptops if available can be used.
- The main organiser's computer should have a webcam via which the Spoken Tutorial team can monitor the workshop over Skype.
- Within a month of the workshop, participants take an assessment test and on clearing it get certificates from Spoken Tutorial Project, IIT Bombay.
As a first step, the organiser typically a faculty member must register on the Spoken Tutorial site and become authorised to request and conduct training workshops in his/her college. The organiser can also identify student volunteers to publicise and help with the workshop. Students have a lot of energy and are very enthusiastic about such activities. Student volunteers get a special certificate, and a T-shirt! They also develop Event management and Project coordination skills. .
All of the above mean a big deal to students for their career with recruiters and at PG interviews.
Today, SMEs and Govt. departments are moving to Open Sources like Linux OS. Students with this knowledge will have an edge in the job market. They can also become entrepreneurs and use Open Source Software in their businesses, saving money vs., if they were using commercial software. Net - it is a win-win situation for all and the best part....all the workshops are conducted FREE of cost. We are having a very good experience with colleges across the length and breadth of India with this format. They start with one and move to cover more batches, more departments, different FOSS series....All working together to Bridge the Digital Divide in our nation.
See the pdf given below to know how easy it is to avail of this training and also get an idea on all the wonderful benefits to students.
Click here Information on training ppt
Progress To Date
The training workshops started in July 2011. These have spread across several Institutions- Degree colleges, Polytechnics, ITIs and even Schools, NGOs, Govt. Offices and some Corporates. To date, mid 2013, around 130,000 students and teachers from all states of India, have taken this Software training. Students from rural places have also benefited from this training. Students are using Linux, Python, PHP & MySQL, C/C++, Java and Scilab in their curriculum. Several colleges are going for Lab Migration, which is switching from Matlab (proprietary) to Scilab. Academia is using the de facto standard for technical writing, LaTeX. We have dedicated students who are working as workshop Volunteers and colleges acting as RESOURCE centers in all states of India.
Software Offered
Currently Spoken Tutorial project offers software training on the below mentioned list of software, applications and programming languages.
Spoken Tutorial Software Series
| No. | Software | Application |
| 1 | Basic IT Skills package | Learn how to use
This package is useful to all who wish to learn basic IT skills. Absolute must for beginners. |
| 2 | Blender | Open source equivalent to Maya and 3DMax. Useful to create 3D Animation for Architecture & Animation students. Can be used by Civil Engineering students, also. |
| 3 | C and C++
|
Powerful features, simple syntax, and portability make C a preferred language among programmers, for business and industrial applications. Widely used in the development of operating systems. |
| 4 | Advanced C++ | Will be available only after the pilot workshop is successfully completed.
For Advanced C++ series, learner should necessarily go through C and C++ series beforehand. |
| 5 | Firefox | Free, open source and popular web browser. Allows you to view Internet web pages, navigate through web pages, and search for web pages using search engines such as Google, Yahoo Search or Bing. |
| 6 | GChemPaint | Will be available only after the pilot workshop is successfully completed.
GChemPaint allows you to draw and display 2D chemical structures. This application is useful for school students (9th standard and above) as well as school teachers. Very useful to teach and learn abstract chemistry concepts. |
| 7 | GeoGebra | Interactive Geometry, Algebra and Calculus application for school students (7th standard and above) as well as school teachers. Very useful to teach and learn abstract geometry concepts. |
| 8 | GIMP | Graphics art and design software application for the editing and creation of original images, icons, graphical elements of web pages and art for user interface elements. Useful for all graphic related work. |
| 9 | Java and Netbeans | Learn to use Java
Learn to use Netbeans IDE
We recommend that Java'Bold text' series be followed with Netbeans series. |
| 10 | Java Business Application | Learn how to create a business application from scratch.
For Java Business Application series, learner should necessarily go through Java and Netbeans series beforehand. |
| 11 | KTurtle | An educational programming environment which helps in learning how to build logic and how to program, in an easy manner. Some of its features are: intuitive syntax highlighting, simple error messages, integrated canvas to make drawings on, integrated help function, slow-motion or step execution, and more.
Recommended for all who would like to know how to program. |
| 12 | LaTeX & XFig | LaTeX is a typesetting software for preparing reports, letters and presentations - specially useful for persons engaged in writing/ publishing documents from science/ arts/ commerce fields.
Xfig is a free and open source vector graphics editor. In Xfig, figures may be drawn using objects such as circles, boxes, lines, spline curves, text, etc. ... and used in LaTeX and other documents. |
| 13 | LibreOffice Suite | Trains in basic computer usage skills like Word processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation using the LibreOffice components Writer, Calc and Impress components. One can also learn other useful components like Draw, Math and Base in this series. |
| 14 | Linux and Ubuntu | Free operating system, almost neutral to virus attacks and no hassles for licensing issues. |
| 15 | OpenFOAM | Open source/ free CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software available for solving and analyzing problems and to create a real world fluid flow movie. Open source equivalent to FLUENT. Widely used in Academics and is gaining popularity in Industry as well- Companies including AUDI, Tata Steel, Volkswagen, and Govt. agencies like BARC (Babha Atomic Research Center). |
| 16 | PHP & MySQL | Package for developing interactive websites and establishing back-end connectivity with a database - Famous websites using PHP include Facebook, Google, and Wikipedia. |
| 17 | Python | Numerical computational software for Science and Engineering Education - used in 3D animation and Gaming industry, Artificial Intelligence, YouTube, NASA, CERN, Yahoo and so on. |
| 18 | Scilab | Mathematical and scientific calculation software, open source substitute for MATLAB, very useful for all science and engineering students, in academics particularly. |
| 19 | KTouch | Typing tutor - teaches how to type using an online interactive keyboard. Learn typing at your own pace. Gradually increase your typing speed and along with it, your accuracy. |
| 20 | TuxTyping | Typing application especially for children Start typing, Practice lessons, Play a game, Set language for typing |
Upcoming Spoken Tutorial series are Oscad, KiCad, Ngspice and gSchem, Bash, QCad, LibreOffice Draw, Perl, Ruby
Be a Part of the Spoken Tutorial Project
The Spoken Tutorial Project-IIT Bombay, welcomes one and all to be a part of an IT revolution and contribute to spread awareness amongst students, teachers and other individuals of society. You can contribute as a -
- SELF Workshop Organiser
- SELF Workshop RESOURCE Center
1. SELF Workshop Organiser:-
Any Student/Staff/Officer/Faculty member can act make the first contact with the Spoken Tutorial team, IIT Bombay. Later it is important that a Faculty member/Staff/Officer/Teacher become in charge of organising the training workshops. As mentioned Organisers need not know the Software to be taught in the workshop. The Organiser will arrange the computer lab and coordinate with students, say 20-30, could be more, and fix a date and timing for the first workshop. He/She will take care of all the prerequisites as per the checklist, for successful conduction of the workshops. He/She will be in touch with the Spoken Tutorial team, IIT Bombay, on a regular basis to ensure that the training is successfully completed. It is mandated for almost all students in the college get a chance to take the training. For this, the Organiser should identify Faculty from other departments to register and start requesting training workshops. Towards this he/she can take inputs of the Principal or Director if necessary. The Organiser should also make a calendar or a time-table to arrange more batches in his own department.
2. SELF Workshop RESOURCE Center
Any college/ university which wishes to contribute towards IT literacy and awareness can become a RESOURCE (Robust Extensions for Spoken Tutorial project on Open Source Software Usage for Recruitment, Community and Education) Center. A RESOURCE Center can conduct remote SELF workshops in its college, for other colleges and can also train other colleges and schools in conducting Spoken Tutorial SELF workshops. It can identify SELF Workshop Organisers in Polytechnic and degree colleges, in its respective state. A RESOURCE Center can create a team of students and faculty members from the respective colleges to provide support to Institutes for conducting SELF workshops. In this way, the project can be spread and awareness created in the entire state.
Note
The RESOURCE Center should especially set up the capacity to host SELF Workshops in its premises for remote area colleges who may not have sufficient lab/ computer/ Internet facilities.
Benefits
A RESOURCE Center will be awarded an Appreciation Letter from Spoken Tutorial project, IIT Bombay. RESOURCE Centers can mention that they are authorised RESOURCE Centers of Spoken Tutorial project, IIT Bombay on their website and in their advertisements.
Organising Workshops
Organising Spoken Tutorial workshops in your college is very easy… you can start with any of the Software that we offer- Basic IT Skills, Blender, C, Firefox, GeoGebra, GIMP, Java, Latex, LibreOffice Suite, Linux and Ubuntu, OpenFOAM, ORCA, PHP & MySQL, Python, Scilab, Thunderbird.
Role of the Organiser
- Inform us of your interest over mail or phone and we will register the college in our website.
- As a necessary step please study the workshop flow in detail that explains step by step how to conduct the workshops and arrange the tests.
- Click here for Workshop Flow.
- To register as an organiser you need to create an account and assign yourself a Username and Password.
- Click here for the Instructions on Instructions To Create a new Account and Register as an Organiser in the Spoken-Tutorial Website.
- Spoken Tutorial team, IIT Bombay, will authenticate you as an "Organiser".
- Arrange the computer lab and inform a group of students - there is no upper limit on the total number.
- Fix a date and timing, only 2-hour duration – Monday - Friday and inform us.
- Make a workshop request on our website and we will confirm it for you.
- Click here for Workshop Request Sheet.
- Get a Skype ID and connect to us prior to the workshop to test Skype, clarify doubts and say hello. Google Skype and install it in your system, create ID just like you would do for Gmail and let us know.
- Download the Spoken Tutorial content available on the link (http://files.spoken-tutorial.org/disc-source). Note that in special cases, where Internet is not available, we can also provide the CDs containing the same learning material.
- Click here for Instructions on Downloading Tutorials.
- Get the software installed on all computers using the “Instructions for Installation” (This is provided in the CD/ web-link).
- Ensure earphones and sufficient number of hard copies of "Instruction sheets" are kept ready for all the participants.
- The Organiser will check that the machines have Firefox web browser and support sound.
- Click here for the Machine Readiness document.
- Arrange one machine - could be a laptop - to have a webcam, the workshop Organiser will use this to connect with us through Skype.
- Participants will use the earphones and watch the tutorials individually. They will play-pause-practice and self-learn at their own pace.
- After the workshop, learners can copy the content onto their Pen-drives or CDs or laptops.
- After the workshop,the organiser will fill the workshop details on spoken-tutorial website.Detailed but easy instructions sheet provided
- Click here for Workshop Details.
- Any time after 4 weeks and preferably within a month or so, the group can come for the online assessment test and get Spoken Tutorial project, IIT BOMBAY Certificates.
- Make a test request on our website and we will confirm it for you. Detailed but easy instruction sheets provided. You will need to identify an invigilator before the test request.
- Click here for Test Request.
- The invigilator will go through the registration process before the test and will monitor the test and attendance of the participants.
- Click here for Instructions for Invigilator.
- Your request will be confirmed and all the participants can take the test by following the simple instructions
- Click here for Test Instruction for Participants.
- For training the entire college, the chief Organizer can put together a team of representatives from other departments who can train many more students.
Downloading Spoken Tutorials
One can easily download the above mentioned software, tutorials and instruction sheets from the following link -
http://files.spoken-tutorial.org/disc-source.
For installation and making copies on all the computers, please follow these easy steps -
Instructions for Downloading and Installing
- Click on the following link - http://files.spoken-tutorial.org/disc-source
- You will see a list of zip files of all the FOSS.
- Click on the FOSS category you have selected for conducting the workshop or for self-learning.
- When you click on the FOSS category, a small dialog box will appear.
- It will prompt you to open/save the zip file.
- Please save the zip file.
- Extract the content from the zip file into a folder.
- Copy the extracted folder on each computer.
- Open the folder.
- Locate the read-me-first.txt file.
- Open it and read it carefully.
- Follow the instructions given inside to locate the Installation and Instruction sheets.
- Do exactly as directed in the Installation sheet to install the FOSS on all the computers before the workshop.
- If Firefox web browser is not installed, then follow the instructions for installing Firefox web browser on all the computers before the workshop.
- Take printouts of the Instruction sheets – one for each participant, a day before the workshop.
Instructions for workshop
- Hand out one Instruction sheet to each participant, before the workshop.
- To begin the workshop, the participants have to open index.html file, which is present in the extracted folder.
- To do so, right-click on index.html and choose Open with Firefox option.
- Now, follow the instructions given in the Instruction Sheet and begin learning.
- We recommend that participants should follow the sequence of topics given in the index.html file for better learning.
Instructions for installing LINUX OS
Click here for instructions on Installation of LINUX OS
How to get the Certificate
After completing the workshop in about two hours, students can revise the tutorials. One can go for the online Spoken Tutorial certification exam on the particular FOSS, any time after 2 weeks or more, in which one gets the following -
- If one has scored =>40 % he/ she can receive the Spoken Tutorial, IIT Bombay certificate.
- One can print it out or keep a soft copy for oneself.
Please Note Online certification tests will not be available for the following software series -
- Basic IT Skills
- Blender
- Firefox
- GIMP
- Java Business Application
- LibreOffice Suite (all components)
- Thunderbird
- KTouch
- Tux Typing
- ORCA
- OpenFoam
Contacts For Workshops
In case of any doubts or queries you can always get in touch with our executive officers -
| No. | Name of States | Contact Person | Email Address | Phone |
| 1 | West Bengal, Odisha | Payel Mukherjee | payel.banjee@gmail.com | +919987087561 |
| 2 | Goa | Trupti More | truptismore@yahoo.com | +919820096122 |
| 3 | Gujarat | Madhukriti Srivastava | madhukriti@gmail.com | +917738378229 |
| 4 | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh | Mohamed Kasim Khan | mkasimkh@gmail.com
mohamedkasim@iitb.ac.in |
+919843349009, +919003707005 |
| Shyama Iyer | sizshyama@gmail.com | +919702545816 | ||
| 5 | Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh | Apoorv Chitray | apoorv1126@gmail.com | +919892874182 |
| 6 | Jammu & Kashmir,Haryana | Arjun Chadha | arjunc@iitb.ac.in, arjunchadha11@gmail.com | +919730862650 |
| 7 | Bihar, Jharkhand | Sharda Sharma | sharda30@gmail.com | +919892721022 |
| 8 | Uttar Pradesh , New Delhi | Kusumlata Verma | kusum.stp@gmail.com | +919769576123 |
| 9 | Maharashtra and All India Schools | Swapnil More | moreswapnil66@gmail.com | +919833901538 |
| 10 | Kerala | Anand Raj R | anandrajr@iitb.ac.in | +919167380007 |
| 11 | Karnataka, Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura | Reshmi Pillai | 80rpillai@gmail.com | +919769532779 |
| 12 | Rajasthan | Gautam Sharma | gautam9130@gmail.com | +917506082220 |
| 13 | Himachal Pradesh | Shalu Sankar | shalu24shalu@gmail.com | +917506122657 |
| 14 | Uttarakhand | Akanksha Saini | akankshasaini2012@gmail.com | +919757052310 |
| 15 | Punjab | Jainendra Jaiswal | jaiswaljainendra@gmail.com | +919867913437 |
Contributors and Content Editors
Chitradevi, Diana, Mohamed, Mousumi, Nancy varkey, Sanmugam, St-admin, Vineeta
