2002 SURA/ViDE Digital Video Workshop

Alabama, April 2002

Videoconferencing as an Enabling Tool for Project Activities: A Case Study of "Imagining the Future" Project

Agenda

1. Project introduction

2. Prior lessons

3. What we did

4. To summarize

1.1 Goal

- to enable an active role of K-12 in exploring and designing future learning spaces empowered by advanced digital technologies and networking

- to identify critical conditions, especially technological environments and strategic relationships, needed to nurture such processes

1.2 Key ingredients

- take what kids are really, really good at: • envisioning new possibilities and

exploring new learning channels

- take what we are good at: • understanding educational

parameters and technological needs to facilitate that process

1.3 Key formula

- kids in the center or the process – they are the owners of all phases of that process

- teachers with a role of facilitators not instructors

- create “safe heaven” for teachers – provide them time and space to learn along with students, not to be expected to be technology experts

- technology – a tool, not the goal !!!

1.4 Student task

- imagine and partly prototype learning system or application that is using advanced digital technologies including rich media, large public data resources, broadband or wireless networking

- work in small teams (2-6 students)

1.5 The categories- … - Classroom of the Future- Virtual Laboratory / Museum / Botanical Garden- Interactive Exhibits- Helping Hand: Advanced Technologies Helping

Students With Disabilities- Math and Art- Reading Lesson- Atom-ic Tour- GlobeQuest- Endangered Species: Learn How to Make a

Difference

2. Prior lessons

1. SURA / ViDE workshop, March 2001, Atlanta, GE

2. Playing with VRVS

3. Megaconference 2001

4. Virtual Internet2 Member Meeting – VIMM 2001

2.1 SURA / ViDE 20011. Start 30-15 min before

• start both video / audio and text chat so that you have plenty of time to troubleshoot

• have time for informal chat among people before the “formal” session begins

2. Everyone has to learn basic “grammar” of vidoeconferencing• how to bypass firewall – big issue in schools!• learn to mute / unmute mike• look at the camera not the screen / display• …and have lots of patience for connection problems!

2.1 SURA / ViDE 2001 – part 2

1. If possible, have face to face meetings before starting a series of videoconferencing sessions• managed to go to TX, NJ, MI and VA but

unfortunately not HI

2. Importance of get-together events• organized 3 expert presentations – great help

and multipoint connection provided by Ohio State University and Dr. Bob Dixon’s team

• will have virtual pizza party at the end

2.2 VRVS system www.vrvs.org

Virtual Room Videoconferencing system, Caltech, CA

1. Importance of having chat as a background channel • always use chat as a background channel• you can troubleshoot there• … and manage multi-site discussion

2. Connecting people with different equipment• some will have only audio

2.3 Megaconference 2001

1. Start 30-15 min before

2. Reserve time to introduce everyone and SHOW all participants to the people who will give presentation• compensate for the lack of face-to-face collaboration

features - your presenter will appreciate having good idea of who (s)he is talking to

3. Beware of displays of casual behavior• you might be “on the air” and you will not know it!

2.3 Virtual Internet2 MM 2001

1. Big event is very formal affair – how do you introduce audience to your speakers?• Introduce very limited number of H.323 clients

and call them up at the beginning?• monitor how many sites are connected at the

time and provide dynamic information to the speaker?

2. Tech. staff run separate chat session to troubleshoot

3.1 What we did

1. 3 big sessions – multipoint connections to MCU at the OSU• expert presenters: Dr. Andrew Glassner,

Jaron Lanier, Dr. Carrie Heeter• students were running the “shop” – they were

in charge of cameras and chat sessions!

2. A range of small sessions• point-to-point connections: school-to-school,

us-to-schools, us-to-students teams, us-to-teachers

3.2 What we plan to do1. Have virtual pizza party in June

(real pizza included!)• another multipoint connection• celebrate end of the project year• show all teams’ projects

2. Two representative teams will go to “Exploring the Future of Learning – a ThinkQuest Live Event” www.thinkquestlive.org• others will join virtually

3.3 What we did not have time to do

Organize video-quiz: 1. select N web sites as basic resource,

2. ask each student team to define questions they will ask other teams (answers should be provided in those N web sites !),

3. make point-to-point connection between two teams: they have to see and hear each other,

4. teams ask each other questions and judge each other’s responses,

5. quarterfinals -> semifinals -> big finale + celebration with everyone in multipoint feast

4. To summarize

1. Make sure you are ready to record the session (analog/digital)!

2. Connect 30-15 min before

3. Run chat as a background channel

4. Introduce the audience • play clip1

5. Manage Q&A queue in chat

6. Have time to say goodbye • play clip2

4.1 Nice surprises

1. Students and teachers from Hawaii organized two overnight marathons (14 and 21 hours long!)

2. Students in charge of cameras and chat sessions

3. Schools participate in each others’ events

Q & A