- Title of the Practice
Dissemination of Academic and Knowledge Content through Social Media and Digital Platforms
- Objectives of the Practice
The objectives of this practice are: 1) to disseminate academic and knowledge content in Urdu by enriching it through social media and digital platforms, and 2) to provide global accessibility to the academic and knowledge content in Urdu free of cost.
- The Context
This practice is conceived bearing in mind the objects of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), which are to promote the Urdu language in higher education. It is felt that the quickest way to promote any language and its culture, at present, is to advance it through digital means. Therefore, MANUU has entrusted the responsibility to its Instructional Media Centre (IMC) to produce in-house educational programmes which help MANUU achieve its objects and mandate. Accordingly, IMC began producing in-house multimedia educational programmes and then started disseminating these through IMC MANUU YouTube Channel. MANUU now boasts of a large repository of curriculum based audio-visual programmes of various streams like arts, languages, education and training, sciences, social sciences, and so on. All these programmes are available to all the masses free of cost all across the globe. These audio-visual programmes can be accessed by the students and the teachers as per their convenience.
Further, a large chunk of Indian Urdu diaspora is deprived of quality content in Urdu. It is believed that the dissemination of knowledge enriching programmes through digital platforms is accomplished through this practice. MANUU is probably the only University in India which has been producing higher education digital content in Urdu in a structured way.
- The Practice
IMC MANUU YouTube Channel was formally launched in December 2017 after proper designing of its cover page and content. The Channel’s logo was created; categories were created for different departments/centers etc. so that surfing becomes easy for students. This categorization was developed on the basis of research, subjects and genre & nature of programmes. The Channel was launched with a proper programming for a week so that audience are retained and added over a period of time. For the uploading of the programmes, the viewing habits of the general viewers and the target audience was considered. With sustained efforts, this higher education audio-visual platform of MANUU now has a subscription of over 35000 Users.
The IMC MANUU YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/imcmanuu) has all the curriculum-based A/V programmes uploaded at the channel. Additionally, the e-content platform has also been created https://manuu.edu.in/University/manuu-e-content).
Besides providing curriculum based programmes, IMC MANUU YouTube Channel also caters to the general audience with a wide array of documentaries of general interest on the Urdu language and culture as well.
Students can also have access to important academic events, seminars, workshops, symposiums etc.(www.youtube.com/imcmanuu and https://www.youtube.com/imcmanuu)
Besides providing educational content at IMC MANUU YouTube Channel, IMC has also created social media platforms of the University and Facebook pages for most of the departments. The relevant audio-visual lectures/material from IMC MANUU archive are being uploaded on respective pages. This is one of the unique experiments wherein most of the departments have their Facebook pages along with relevant audio-visual educational resources. The teaching faculty at MANUU are being sensitized to make best use of various social media platforms for disseminating academic content, and reflecting the achievements and educational activities of MANUU, and share MANUU’s initiatives on social media platforms with other Institutions as well.
Facebook provides opportunities to create a focused group for a particular subject where the group can connect with best teachers in the subject all across the world. Teachers-Students may share resources for a pre-class/post-class discussion on a topic. Since students are already using social media away from the classroom, integrating it into the classroom helps students learn best practices in the subject as it offers an interesting new twist on lessons for pre-class and post-class discussions (https://manuu.edu.in/University/Centre/IMC/best-practices-imc).
- Evidence of Success
The practice of disseminating knowledge and academic content to the students through IMC MANUU Youtube Channel, and other social media platforms by MANUU has been very successful. At present , it has a subscription of about 35000. The viewership is building gradually but steadily.
MANUU Knowledge Series was launched, as an important digital initiative to enrich the learning experience of student community and general audience by providing them knowledge and information on wide array of topics. This Knowledge Series was introduced as a part of digital initiatives in December 2017 under which short duration audio-visual capsules on a variety of topics were produced and uploaded at IMC MANUU YouTube Channel. Some of these are:
100 Most influential persons/leaders in the History
100 Famous Urdu Literature personalities
100 Great Indians
100 Great Discoveries of all times
100 Common Health/Nutritional issues
100 common Socio-Economic and Environmental Issues
100 Great Scientists of this century etc.
This Series is intended not only to provide factual content to students but to the general audience irrespective of their educational background. As the audio-visual medium has the power to communicate even with the illiterate audience. The audio visual programmes produced under this Series have been selected in National and International Film Festivals.
The Instructional Media Centre had three nominations in Competitive Category all across India in the National Science Film Festival 2019. The three movies shortlisted were: 1) Prof. U.R. Rao directed by Mr. Mohammed Mujahid Ali. 2) Stephen Hawking directed by Mr. Omar Azmi and 3) Bharat Ratna Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam directed by Mr. Obaidullah Raihan. https://manuu.edu.in/University/Centre/IMC/laurels).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ5IpDm84ys&list=PLK4auiSRQ36a0cpLtYPrrPPyXjEJj8ZUC and at https://manuu.edu.in/University/Centre/IMC/manuu-knowledge-series
- Problems Encountered and Resources Required
Since Audio-Visual production technology is fast changing, an immediate upgrade of the facilities is required to enhance the quality of production. The production crew faces regular issues of the compatibility of various devices and soft wares required in production.