#edxengine

If you had stopped by www.edxengine.com recently, you would have noticed some significant changes. 

Yes our website looks more cool now, but that isn’t what we set forth to do when we planned for this release. All we wanted to do was to provide an user friendly interface, which is what our users deserved from us. 

So what is new?

We have got a simple one click registration and sign in via Facebook button, so if you have a Facebook account just click on the Facebook icon and sign up, its that simple.

A lot of folks have asked us this question,

“Is it absolutely necessary to register in your site to see what courses I can enroll into?”

The answer is not anymore, all you need now is to click on any of these category listing and it will take you into the appropriate page. 

By the way you could now get a detailed view about the course, once you click it.

First up a preview video explaining the course will appear. Then details on “Who can take this course?” “What is included in the course?” and “What you will gain from the course” are listed in the same page.

Now that you have an overview of what the course is, scroll down and see what the syllabus is.

Want to see some preview videos before deciding whether the course is for you? We have got you covered, click on the green buttons and start watching the preview video of the course.

So this is our latest release, sign up and have one of the best learning experiences.

The last few months have been really exciting, some new courses planned, important decisions made and most importantly we are moving forward one step at a time.

What are we trying to do?

This is one question we ask ourselves day in, day out at EdXengine. The answer we come up with is “Providing a platform where one learns what he/she needs to attain his/her goals”. We know Learning is a continuos process, we understand it and that’s a reason our courses are digitized and available whenever you need at www.edxengine.com

So how do we validate what we say holds true? 

NUMBERS !! They never lie. We had the opportunity to work with 2 batches of Mechanical Engineers at St.Joseph’s College of Engineering, Chennai. One from 2014 and the other from 2015. 

We analyzed their course interaction vs outcomes, course completion rates and how the course helps them in achieving their career goals.

So lets see the numbers.

COURSE INTERACTION

One thing we noticed is

2014 Batch - We provided a discussion forum, Given a platform to engage, students ask more questions, interact with themselves and have a chance to clear their doubts. 

2015 Batch - We provided access to our digitized content. (i.e.) The student can revisit the course content whenever needed. Accessibility to these videos increased project completion by 40%. We engaged the alumni in the 2nd batch. Alumni inputs and suggestions motivated and helped the present batch.

One thing to note is the interaction level between instructors and students. Students interact as much as the instructor interacts. End result of all these is clear learning of concepts and a good learning curve.

Interaction over the coursework

The interaction is broadly categorized into 4 phases. 

Phase1: Initial Phase, there is considerable amount of inertia in the initial weeks.

Phase2: Understanding concepts and questioning the theory behind it.

Phase3: Implementing the concepts learnt in individual projects.

Phase 4: Collaborating as a team to execute course learnings into a final project. 

Once done they have a chance to showcase their projects to peers and folks from industry. This hones their presentation skills and provides the confidence to take on the real world.

Is there a correlation between the way we teach the course and students getting placed in core companies?

Looking at all these numbers, we wanted to learn one crucial thing about ourselves. Are we making the right impact? Is our course helping students achieve their short term goals? Hmmm... Let’s see what data suggests.

As the figure suggests, the student interaction during the course shows an impact in the way they have been placed in a core company. Talking numbers, 80 % of the course population where either placed in a core company or had been admitted into a reputed university.

A fact to note is everyone listed above performed at least one project during the coursework. This underlines the importance of practical applications of theoretical knowledge. 

We see the same trend with the 2015 batch as well, We are confident the students of our 2015 batch will be as successful as their seniors.

So what did we do right ?

Communicating the importance and reaching out. Yes these two words might look simple, but that is what we did. We kept the students engaged with our discussion forums, engaged them over social media, where available 24*7 over Whatsapp, Skype, Hangouts and our support team was available though phone anytime of the day (even night).

BY THE WAY WE DID ALL OF THESE THINGS ONLINE. YES WE WHERE ROUGHLY 8557 MILES AWAY FROM THE STUDENTS WE TAUGHT. CURIOUS, HOW WE ACHIEVED IT. SIMPLE, THE ANSWER IS TECHNOLOGY !!! 

EdXengine - Quality courses for you

Finally here are some pictures from our User Group Meeting 2015.

A shout out to engineers out there!!!

#Boys only #heavy tools #Cars Engines #Design #grease #dirty overalls; these are a few word which are most commonly associated when you hear the mention of mechanical Engineers.

Thanks to some amazing CG works in hollywood flicks, every kid wants to become a Mechanical Engineer thinking he will learn to make gravity defying IronMan suits or worse, to build an autobot like Optimus Prime! When I watched the movie Minority Report for the first time, I was awed by the interface of the computer Tom Cruise was using. It seemed like he was literally using his computer in the air around him.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Computers haven’t reached that far. Mouses, keyboards, touch pads are very much still in fashion. So you must be wonder why I am rambling about computers when I specifically called out to all the Mechies to read this. It is a common notion that Mechanical Engineers are too cool for computers and that is probably the most widely accepted lie in the circles of Engineering students in India.

Gone are the days, when knowing a CAD package like CATIA or CREO or a CAE package like ANSYS was considered to be of added value. From value addition it has become a prerequisite for every Mechanical Engineer. Very often, most of us fail to understand that it is a must and not an advantage to be equipped with these softwares.

Take the TACOMA Narrow bridge for example. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, the below image surely will. This bridge collapsed on Nov 7th, 1940 not because of an earthquake or a shipping accident. Have you ever seen a leaf shake and fall from a branch in autumn? A light breeze rustles it and then it drops to the ground below. It moves a little to the left, a little to the right snaps and falls. That is exactly what happened to the 6.5 million dollar super structure. all because a few essential concepts such as resonance and aero elasticity were miscalculated. resulting in a bridge that was designed to fail and what a spectacular failure it was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_(1940)

Imagine the time, money and more importantly the effort that could have been saved if the engineers had got it right the first time around. (It had to be rebuilt after 10 years for nearly twice the cost) unfortunately the engineers back then didn’t have the assistance of softwares like ANSYS. If you think a software preventing such a mishap is too much of an exaggeration, check out the video below. The video clearly shows the bridge violently oscillating like the previously mentioned leaf. I hope, the importance of knowing CAE packages is pretty evident by now.

What is this series all about ? As the name suggests its about Grad School Prep.

In the year 2014, there was approximately 1,000,000 admits to international students in the US. amongst them 49% were from India, China and Korea. The number of students who want to pursue their higher education especially from India has been constantly on the rise. The primary reason being the opportunity provided to upgrade our skills.

If this is the stat of people who got admitted, take a second to think about the number of people who applied. The number might be far greater than 1 million. 

For a second, lets take a look at the application process. There are 3 kind of applicants.

Applicant 1: His/her relatives and friends have already gone through the process and are very much aware of what needs to be done. Their guidance provided by them, helps the student to prepare properly right from his/her 4th semester.

Applicant 2: Inspired by Applicant 1 and the desire of learning more, applicant 2 scrambles for resource here and there, starts preparing for grad school from 6th semester. Scores good/average marks on entrance exams (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS), approaches a consultancy and spends 30,000 to get into an university.

Applicant 3: Has the desire to pursue his/her education, due to lack of seriousness, guidance and over exposure to mis information decides to drop preparing in his/her 6th semester. Finally when in 8th semester he/she wants to pursue their Masters/Ph.D, realize its late and thus get to a consultancy to shell out 30,000Rs and get into an university that they did not desire.

When you see the success rate of these applications, you will find applicant 1 has a higher success rate. If you question the success behind them, its not only because they start preparing by 4th or 5th semester, its mainly because of the guidance. Applicant 2 and 3 want the same guidance and approach a consultancy. That is where they go wrong.

The guidance coming from someone who has gone through the process outweighs the guidance bought by 30,000Rs. 

In a way Grad School prep is a series that will bring you guidance from people who have gone through the process. We are bringing you past and present grad students to share their experience with you.

Some of the topics that we will be covering during this series is,

1. When and how should one start preparing for Grad school

2. How important is GRE & TOEFL? Are they important than the coursework ?

3. How should I select my universities? Should I go by safe and ambitious?

4. When I pick a university should I look for university ranking, or my program ranking?

5. What are the funding options? How to avail funding?

6. How should we approach Professors to get to work for them?

7. How is the coursework designed?

8. How to search for an internship and Job opportunity?

9. How about OPT, CPT and EAD?

10. What about H1B?

These are some of the many topicswe want to cover in this series. The first episode of our series will be online tomorrow @ www.edxengine.com or “https://www.facebook.com/edxengine?ref=hl”.

Did you ever know that India has 1652 languages? The number of languages being used in a country with over 1.25 Billion population is a shear example of diversity present in our nation. 

When you look into the education scenario, this diversity isn’t reflected. At least in the recent past and present we have been producing engineers, doctors and management grads at a very high rate. While we should be proud of the number of students taking up these fields, there is also a concern of sacrificing the quality of professionals graduating from these fields.

The concern here is that the average or poor grads graduating out of these fields might have been super awesome in some other field. Unfortunately they did not have the exposure or the right environment to pick and choose what they would have been good at.

Now with the advent and widespread availability of internet, opportunities present in other fields all over the world have been exposed and has let us compete with the world. While there are some folks who travel the path never taken, the number is very little. 

How often do we come across people who say they are working in sales, finance, logistics, customer support after an engineering degree or MBA from some college. Working in sales or finance or logistics is great, the only query is why on earth would you want to study something for 4 years, go through the numerous exams and then find no use for it in the rest of your life. You might as well have studied something relevant and accelerated your career graph.

From a very tender age, most children’s parents decide that they must be parents to either engineers or doctors and nothing less. In some cases, it is mis-informed genuine anxiety about the future of their child because they feel no other profession is secure but in many cases, unfortunately societal status is the driving factor. As a result of producing engineers and doctors, children nowadays are like racehorses with blinders. They are allowed to see only what the adults around them want them to see. While the internet has empowered children with  a better picture of the options around them, their say in the final decision on what they want to become is limited.

What we have failed to realize for the past many generations are that children might be only 1/3rd of our population but they are ALL of our FUTURE. They shape the economy of a country. They are instrumental in deciding its rate of growth and development. 

Facebook, Microsoft and Apple are all at the pinnacle of their success, not because Zuckerberg, Gates and Jobs enrolled at an engineering college. Their venture became so successful because of their passion for their interest. Their creative genius and successful use of talent has landed them where they are; the world’s youngest billionaire, the world’s richest man, the ex-CEO of the world’s most valuable company.

Creativity and talent is undoubtedly a property of every individual. It is upto them and the folks around them to channel it and manifest it in the right way.

Become an engineer or doctor because you are passionate about, not because your parents or relatives are. There is a world of possibilities beyond B.E, MBBS and MBA. Whatever you decide to do, your dedication and motivation in being the best in what you do should be the driving factor. Identify your interest and work on equipping yourself with the skills required to master the game. Access and use some of the quality online educational resources you can get your hands on like www.EdXengine.com. And why shouldn’t you when most of it is free?

You don’t have to sacrifice an arm and a leg on the field of battle to prove your bravery. Every decision you make, every risk you take, every stereotype you break stands testimony to your courage.   

“Engineering is the application of scientific, economic, social, and practical knowledge in order to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes. It may encompass using insights to conceive, model and scale an appropriate solution to a problem or objective.” – Wikipedia

The present education system churns out engineers in infinite numbers, but the rude reality is it constrains the human ability of a student to use his insights to conceive model or scale an appropriate problem or objective. There is as much fault on the students as it is on the  system, we do not try to expand our knowledge beyond the curriculum which is being taught. In the process we have become a byproduct of an industry which focusses on mass production but gives the quality a miss. The resultant of such an environment is fewer good parts, matched by very few defective parts. While the defective parts are clear this ain’t their field of interest, they allow themselves to remould and choose suitable fields and most importantly have a sense of satisfaction. Similarly the good ones find themselves wanted by big manufacturers because of their all round skills as an Engineer. The irony here is both the good and the bad parts combined together is just a small fraction when compared to the average ones.

The average ones define the system, since they are the majority. They get into a setup which they didn't desire when they chose or when they were pushed into engineering resulting in  shortened work lifespan and importantly they are unsatisfied and as mentioned a majority too. This is the question which inspired this write up - “ What happens when majority of them are unsatisfied with what they do ?” The Corporate setup (software) in India is mostly made up of the averages who have to come to terms of what they call “Corporate Culture”, “Appraisals”, sometimes “reasons for being put down time and again just because you did the right thing” and many other things. 

The below pictures are witness of what is happening at themoment

I believe there is an approach which could change this system. If the system doesn’t change, its important we change. Being in this age of “Google” we have to look out for resources which keeps us equipped, updated and more importantly satisfied and engaged happily. If you're thrown into engineering and along the way you desire to become an engineer, make justice to your decision. Being an engineer as said is just using your insights to conceive, model and scale an appropriate solution to a problem. It is easier than every one of us think, its just the effort and the willingness to educate yourself. Resources might have a price tag on it sometimes, but do not look at it as a commodity, its an investment. Think what would be your  price tag with the educational investment you have made. If you want to be satisfied you need to educate yourself apart from the curriculum you are being forced into. THINK.

There is a lot of clamor in social media relating India and Women safety, especially after “India’s Daughter”. We noticed 2 sects of people, 

1. One sect was and is worried about safety and have expressed their views strongly on how unsafe India is, especially for women.

2. The other sect defending India are explaining that women safety is something that is common across the globe. They feel India is targeted by vested interests that have ulterior motives.

Even though both sects disagree with each other, everyone are on the same page when it comes to women safety. For that matter, every human being needs to be treated well. We need to give the required respect to each men and women. 

There has been lots of angry posts that want to bring stricter laws, etc to the ones who misbehave. Agreed fear is one of the aspects that curbs violence, but it isn’t a factor that curbs instincts especially animal instincts. 

So what is that we need to do? Is there a way we can make our world a better place to live ? Our answer to it is definitely yes. Education is one thing that distinguishes right from wrong. 

Educating doesn’t  mean people who have never gone to school are the ones more prone to misbehave. or cause pain on fellow human beings To be more clear educating is something where you teach a person what they are not aware of. You might be a CEO, but if you aren’t aware of certain concepts you need to be educated on that. 

Irrespective of one having a doctorate or being someone who has not seen school, if they do not know how to treat a fellow human then you should make sure to educate them in that aspect of it.

So the question is how are we going to educate half a billion people, the answer is what we are searching for too. While we see lots of  blog posts on how to and how not to treat people, it doesn’t reach the people it needs to reach. So is there an answer ? We think internet might be an answer for it.

What have we done ???. 

We for our part have created EdXengine, 

To all the people who care about their relatives, friends, loved ones and want to provide a safer place to live, we call upon you. Make a structured course on how to treat fellow humans, how to make India a better place for women, how to be sane when animal instincts take upon oneself. Educate your fellow people. Its upon you to make a change. 

On our part we will make sure your course reaches the nooks and corners of India. Do you have it in you to bring a change? Are you the one who wants to have a safer city. Then ping us, reach us at “https://www.facebook.com/edxengine?ref=hl” or shoot a mail to [email protected]

So its upon you, if you are someone who is interested in woman safety and have been voicing for it. You think you know what needs to be taught about to our general public, such that they understand. Take the plunge !!! 

We are not sure what needs to be taught, but we think you all know what you need to teach your sons, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. What would you like them to do and not do. Think about it and contact us. Or comment on our Facebook page or here. We will make sure it counts.

We are throwing you a challenge, come up with a course, EdXengine will sponsor the whole course and provide you with our facilities for you to host the video. We will market the video and bear the cost for it too.

Lets educate. 

“Ask what you have done for your country, not what your country can do for you”

In the last post, I asked you to ponder about how a small project that you do during your undergrad will help you in sculpting your future. So here is my point of view

A typical engineering student has 2 options in front of him; higher studies or a well set career. The 2 phrases which are synonymous with higher studies and a good career are painstaking application forms and grueling interview processes. As for myself, I was fortunate enough to get a shot at both.

For those pursuing higher studies, it must be a commonly known fact that, most countries especially USA and in Europe don’t have entrance exams like GATE, BARC and TANCET. The selection process is entirely at the discretion of the universities. They never reveal their criteria. They may set a lower limit so that a minimum requirement to apply is communicated to the interested students. But if you clear the minimum requirement, it never means you are guaranteed a seat.

The application process is  pretty energy sapping. Each application easily takes 2 hours or more, and that is just the filling up of the online form alone ( most of us are even ready to shell out Rs30,000 to a consultancy to fill out and take care of the application process). 

Besides that, you have Letters of Recommendations, essays and what not. While one may get all this information from their seniors/consultants/relatives. One thing that takes us by mild surprise is the academic achievements tab, which asks for details of the projects worked on, papers published and conferences attended. Most of us are just relieved that the boxes to be filled are optional fields and we can save our fingers the trouble of typing out 3 to 4 paragraphs because we have nothing to account for.

That is a big blunder, especially when you aim to get into some of the top universities in the world. Stats show that acceptance in top institutions are directly related to the time invested by the applicant in projects and research. Participating in a simple project or performing a good research study on common process/problem or principle gets you closer to a successful application and scholarship.

When it comes to the job interview scene, almost all freshers have a standard resume template which begins with a hard-to-memorize objective, a tabular column for their academic records, a mention of their personal skills a few other details about hobbies, religion etc. Fact of the matter is that the interviewer has 10 - 15 minutes to decide if he wants you in his company or not. It will hardly take him a minute to mentally register details about marks and awards. So what will set you apart from the other 999 folks on the other side of the door, of which at least 70% will have profile similar to yours? There may be many answers to that. A most certain answer is your Projects. It not only gives the interviewer scope for discussion, but also allows you to make the interviewer ask questions in areas you are familiar with.

If eyes are the mirror to the soul (Paulo Coelho) then I believe your tongue is the mirror to the brain and all that it holds. Assuming you have put your entire dedication and hard work into working on the project, then you are bound to describe it with a passion that is very hard to fake or duplicate. This will create a positive impression on the interviewer in terms of your capacity and work ethic. This theory holds good even more so when the interviewer and interviewee are from different domains. (For example: A mechanical student sitting in an IT company interview)

To wrap up things, a word of advice, involve yourselves in as many projects as you can. Seek proper guidance, approach your professors and industry contacts, do something worthwhile with your time. It is not going to be easy, but it is going to be worth it. Work with the motivation to make a difference and success will automatically follow. Though at the outset, everything seems to be discovered. That is far from the truth. The scope for research is like an intertwined web of endless possibilities. SO JUST FOLLOW YOUR HEART AND START FROM SIMPLE CONCEPTS. It might be how a car works, or how water flows through a pipe. Simple ideas have brought the best laws - A long time back a person wondered how the apple fell on his head and rest became history!!

And for you Mechies out there, check out the Simulation for Mechanical engineers and ANSYS APDL courses on www.EdXengine.com. Both of them start off with the basics and culminate with 2 unique projects which will make your resume stronger. Sign-up for the courses and enjoy 24/7 expert support wherever you are, whenever you want.    

By the way here is some free advice !! Take a look at it and make your  resume better. AND OBVIOUSLY its FREE :D