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research partnership

Alex Katsaros, a member of our team, wrote an article about our trip to South Africa for the not-for-profit organization THATCamp. Here is an excerpt: Greetings THATCampers, “As Dr. Bruce Janz mentioned in his previous post, we’re offering to share some after-action details regarding a cultural experiment we just undertook in Fall 2010. Also, I’ll share some more future-oriented features of the UCF mobile “INTX Lab” in development regarding the best-practices for conducting networked collaboration via a satellite-enabled, 2-way network media feeds, etc...Professor Stella Sung, Brian Tortorelli, and the UCF CREATE lab programed the idea for an African Drumming Session, and student participation was confirmed through existing local coordination with non-profit Nap Ford Community School (located downtown beside UCF on Livingston St.). This idea culminated when the INTX Lab met the drummer and teacher Lucky Paliso, who lives in Cape Town South Africa.”

African Drum Session

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Thorspecken, the wonderful artist behind “Analog Artist Digital World”, sketched our South Africa drum session between Lucky in Cape Town, and a group of students from Nap Ford Elementary school in Orlando, Florida.

The Central Florida Future wrote a wonderful article about INTX before our trip to South Africa. Here is an excerpt: ”Two UCF professors are taking their courses to a whole new level this semester - better yet, make that a whole new continent. On Nov. 11, humanities professor Bruce Janz and anthropology professor Rosalyn Howard will leave for South Africa, where Janz will teach the remainder of his African Humanities course and Howard will teach the remainder of her African Societies and Cultures course.”

Click here for the full article.

To see the full sketch, please visit the artist’s blog.

You can also read the full article on The Central Florida Future website.

Cobham Update

We were featured in the “Cobham Update” corporate newsletter, as well as on the “Cobham Corporate Responsibility and Sustainabiliity” website: http://www.cobhamsustainability.com/community/community-case-studies/cobham-brings-a-new-dimension-to-distance-learning.aspx

 

 

 

 

Florida High Tech Corrider Council Magazine

We were featured in the Florida High Tech Corridor Council annual magazine. “Interactive Expeditions:  Make the World Your Classroom.” Florida.HIGH.TECH 2012.

 

 

News Release

 

31 August 2009

 

Cobham Enables Interactive Distance Learning Broadcasts from India

 

ORLANDO, Florida – Cobham donated the satellite equipment and associated support necessary to University of Central Florida’s (UCF) “Interactive Expeditions” distance learning sessions from India, focusing on the country’s ethnobiology, biodiversity, and culture.

 

During 11-22 August, UCF professors from Dep. of Digital Media and Dep. of Biological Sciences conducted six live, interactive broadcasts from six different locations in India to UCF students in Orlando, Florida. Additional details regarding these broadcasts are

available from the UCF’s Department of Digital Media. In-country assistance for these broadcasts was provided by Cobham SATCOM, Orlando and Cobham’s India liaison office in concert with Essel Shyam Communication, Ltd. for satellite services in India.

 

To support these broadcasts, Cobham SATCOM, Orlando provided UCF with a turn-key broadband satellite communications system composed of quick deploy auto-acquiring satellite antenna systems and related components in combination with additional Cobham

wireless transmission and receiver kit products to provide an overall solution.

 

“We’re pleased to have supported this year’s ‘Interactive Expedition’ – the third we’ve been involved with in as many years – and the most ambitious set of broadcasts UCF has planned to date,” said David Provencher, President of Cobham SATCOM, Orlando. “We hope that UCF’s students, faculty staff and invited viewers from many organizations from around the world found the broadcasts insightful and captivating. Many other current and potential customers may benefit from these technical capabilities.”

 

Florida university students get introduced to Ganga and spirituality

 

- The university group also made a documentary film on Ganga and India's spiritual culture

 

Rishikesh, Jagaran Karyalay.  A group from America's Florida University that visited Tirtnagri to learn about Indian culture and Ayurveda experienced The Ganges and spirituality.  The university filmed a documentary based on the Ganges and India's spiritual culture.  This was broadcast live.

 

The program organized by the Digital Media department of University of Central Florida showcased India's spiritual culture to the students watching via satellite.  Around five am, the group setup their set in Munikirati on Shatrughat river bank.  During this live broadcast, the Florida University was connected to the show.  Through the medium of live classroom, students from United States discussed Indian Culture and spirituality.  Philly Peters, associate professor of the Digital Media department of Florida University, said that the university had arranged an excursion to study Indian Ayurvedic science and the rich culture.  Prior to this, they studied Ayurveda for 2 days.  And the second part covered spirituality and culture.  He said that it was not possible to include all the university students in the excursion, so information was passed on to the rest of the students with the help of a live classroom.  Dr. Rani Vajravelu, who accompanied the university's travel group, said that if this technology shows good results then it will be used to help students all over the world with their research.  Dr. Usha Vaishnav, head of the Nirvana clinic based here, helped the university research group understand various Indian rituals like Ganga bath, devotion to the sun, devotion to the holy water, and their importance.  Associated with the clinic and a natural therapist, RajKumar Goud, also offered help.  On this occasion, along with university students such as Alex, Dawn, Roobiyan, and John, a specialized group and camera crew were present.

 

Photograph caption:  The crew from Florida University that made a documentary on Ganga and India's spiritual culture

 

Feature Article: Rishikesh Newspaper in India(English translation below)

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