With a vision to provide world-class education in film, communication and media arts, Whistling Woods International offers a range of courses at its state-of-the-art campus, in Mumbai. The institution has been at the forefront of incorporating new technologies in the teaching processes. “We were one of the first to shift from film to digital filmmaking using HD cameras and then 4K and 8K recording. We have also introduced virtual reality and mixed reality into the filmmaking process and this is the way that we keep our students at the top of the technology innovation in the industry. It means they are well equipped to handle all the changes that the industry implements because they are already well taught in these areas,” says Rahul Puri, Head of Academics, Whistling Woods International.
Following the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, the institution has been quick to leverage technology in its online education for all degree and diploma courses. “We have moved all our classes to Zoom and are using Microsoft Teams as an excellent communication software for sharing notes, information and learning materials. Students have been pleased with the results as these classes are shorter and sharper and the preparation in advance means that classes are more interactive as well,” states Puri.
Academic continuity is being ensured by closely adhering to the syllabus guidelines that were put in place even in an on-campus scenario and these parameters are being followed in the online space as well. Puri points out that this means things like mandatory attendance, etc. “We are also ensuring that learning is happening outside the classroom (virtual of course) by giving students work to do on their own in preparation of the next class. This hands on experience is crucial to the learning in our case,” he adds.
Highlighting the key technology implementations that Whistling Woods International is looking at in the future, Puri reveals that a lot of focus will be on building out their Virtual Academy, which would include online education as well as virtual classrooms. Informing further, “We already have filmmaking on the Virtual Academy platform and now would add other programs too. We are also looking on building out a Design Lab to help rethink some fundamental design problems in the country as well as a Cognitive Science Lab.”
Puri believes that in the near future, emerging technologies like virtual reality will make a difference in the film education sector. He feels that a completely virtual classroom would be a huge advantage to students unable to travel to big cities or afford that kind of standard of living. “Virtual classrooms would mimic the interaction of a real scenario and still allow the freedom and flexibility of the online space,” mentions Puri, adding that at Whistling Woods International they are already testing out some of these initiatives in their Virtual Reality Lab.