Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 1

EduNet: Internet-based Education Network

Martina ZitterbartAxel Böger, Oliver Brand, Till Harbaum, Dirk Sturzebecher

Institute of Operating Systems and Computer NetworksTechnical University of Braunschweig

http://www.ibr.cs.tu-bs.de/hm

1. Motivation2. Technical infrastructure3. Synchronous learning with MACS4. Asynchronous learning with To/oL 5. Summary and outlook

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 2

Motivation

Goal Prototype an Internet-based distance learning environment at TU

Braunschweig

Components Technical infrastructure (network, multimedia teaching rooms) Tools for learning and collaboration (asynchronous and synchronous) Learning and teaching material

Interdisciplinary project Partially funded by the Ministery of Research and Culture in Lower

Saxony, Germany– October 1997 to September 1999

Project members– 2 computer science, 1 electrical engineering, 2 didactic and evaluation

Internet

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 3

Technical Infrastructure

Networking Stepwise improvement of campus backbone

– ATM-technology since it can provide quality of service

Room equipment Teacher desk with monitor, network access, beamer access ...

– Easy access to mutimedia and distance learning equipment and content

– Enables simple synchronous tele-teaching of a course

Internet

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 4

Improved Support

Whiteboard Blackboard

Teacherdesk

Teachercamera

Learnercamera

Internet

Beamer

rem

ote

lear

ners

Bea

mer

Teacher-mikrophone

Learnermikrophones

RoomUniversity X

RoomUniversity Y

Room

Speaker

Student A

Student B

Enhanced group awareness Microphone(s) and camera(s) for learners Projection of remote learners

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 5

MACS: Modular Advanced Collaboration System

Goal Provide a framework for tele-collaboration Integrate dedicated support for tele-teaching

Characteristics Modular

– New applications can be integrated Portable and Internet-based

– Java-based Scalable

– Provides suited mechanisms for different collaboration scenarios

– E.g., tele-course, tele-seminar, tele-lab Interworking with ITU (Netmeeting) and Mbone protocols Visual session control

– Mediation of group awareness

– Control of access rights

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 6

Visual Session Control

Support of various scenarios (discussion group, round robin, agenda ...)

Different levels of user stateMultimedia equipment

Remote controllablecamera

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 7

IBR Whiteboard

Enhanced whiteboard Tele-pointer Tele-marker Floor control Support for

late comer

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 8

Teaching with IBR Whiteboard

beamer

Auto-trackingcamera

Monitor andmouse used withIBR whiteboard

Projectionspace

Computer with Internet access

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 9

To/oL

To/oL Tool for online/offline Learning

Characteristics Based on Internet technologies

– HTML, JavaScript, Java Usable with direct Internet access (online) or without (offline) Provides interactivity and virtual experiments

Interactivity Individual and free navigation through content Email access

Virtual experiments Configurable animations and simulations Questions and answers

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 10

A To/oL Screen Dump

Title bar

Content- Text, Graphics- Audio, Video- Virtual experiment

Symbol bar

Content bar

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Structure of the Content

Slides...

...

Detailed information

ExercisesAnimations/Simulations

Topic 1Topic Topic 2

Navigation Individual (as browsing through a book) Guided through content bar

Multiple levels of detail

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 12

Animation: Network Protocols

Pre-definednetwork

configuration

Selection ofalgorithm

Control ofsimulation

Manualconfiguration

Computer

Network internalsystems

Paket sentacross the network

Protocolinformation

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 13

Summary and Outlook

Distance learning support of EduNet Technical infrastructure that can be accessed by teachers and learners Enhanced and easy to use tools

– To/oL already used by other departments (e.g., chemistry) Multimedia-based content

– Virtual experiments

– Interactivity

Evaluation ... difficult, since current experience is very limited

Follow-up project together with University Hannover, TU Clausthal Improve and test tools Integrated asynchronous and synchronous tools (i.e., To/oL and MACS) Provide content for the diploma program information technology