national broadband network jenny horder & david foley

24 May 2010

Video Conferencing Liberating Education in the ClassroomJenny Horder (Australian Museum)

David Foley (NSW DET)

Video Conferencing Liberating Education in the Classroom

Jenny Horder (Australian Museum), David Foley (NSW DET)24 May 2010

Updating the NSW DET Connected Classroom Project$158 million investment over 4 years (2008-2011) by NSW DET

• Interactive Classrooms Project ($66 million) – delivering equip to every NSW public school with one interactive classroom (interactive whiteboard, video conferencing facility and desktop sharing).

• Learning Tools Project – delivering the latest 2.0 technologies to staff and students, including upgraded email to around 1.2 million school and TAFE students.

• Network Bandwidth Project (around $60 million) – this has enhanced bandwidth capacity, speed and reliability to enable interactive environments at all 2,500 DET sites and including filtered internet browsing services and network upgrades to support delivery of Interactive Classrooms and Learning Tools.



A Typical Interactive Classroom Layout



Quantifying Benefits of this Project

• Real time interactions with experts via the Connections Program online field trips and events

• Virtual schools models delivering:

• Higher School Certificate in rural remote schools via the AccessProgram

• Selective High School via E2

• Distance Education

• Adhoc calling both multi-point and point to point

• Gateway access to call throughout the world traversing the Internet for inexpensive and reliable connection to content providers and schools

• Seamless delivery of TAFE vocational education programs and training into schools and communities

• Influencing how public institutions access and interact with their communities and schools



Technical Background

• To date over 2,900 endpoints operating in public schools throughout NSW. Connected Classrooms Project accounts for 1,584 to date

• Network capability of 10Mbps currently being rolled out to NSW schools and TAFE campuses

• DET operates Video Conferencing at 384K per second

• DET operates and manages a Polycom core and is transitioning to a Tandberg core

• Tandberg endpoints are used with a legacy system of Polycom VSX units

• Institutions such as the Australian Museum are considered as “content providers”

• In excess of 35,000 students registered for virtual field trips in 2009. Registrations for 2010 have increased five fold



Scope of the Project and funding

• The Australian Museum collaboration with DET and schools seeking to trial and pilot these digital technologies.

• Started in 2008 with the purchase of a mobile video conferencing(Tandberg) unit, network cabling tailored for interactive transmission purposes and the Museum’s bandwidth speed increased to 10 Megabits.

• First pilot programs in 2009.

• Value of strong link with the DET’s Distance and Rural Technologies’Connections program

• Collaboration for video conferencing to schools with the administrative and technological support required.



Virtual excursions offered by the Australian Museum

• Meet the Megafauna

• Indigenous Australians – Indigenous Art Workshops

• Minibeasts Magnified

• Dynamic Earth

• Palaeontology Through Puppetry

• Human Evolution

• Stick Insects in your Classroom, and many more

Springfield PS

Summer Bay High

Wandin Valley PS



Human Evolution



Indigenous Australians – Indigenous Art Workshops



Minibeasts Magnified



Meet the Megafauna



Palaeontology Through Puppetry



Museum in a Box



Sustainability

• Some programs integrated with the Australian Museum’s “Museum in a Box” program, enabling the experience of real resources at the same time as a virtual link with the Museum’s experts.

• Minimum $77+ per class of students has currently been agreed for each video conferencing link up (less if linked with Museum in a Box)

• Up to approximately 10 direct, interactive classroom connections

• Bookings for schools via DET’s Connections program Unit

• Listing for content providers via DET’s Connections program Unit

• http://dartconnections.org.au



Video Conference Typesand Frequency

Event Name Events Schools Students

Stick Insects in your Classroom 5 34 1575

Air Atmosphere and Weather – Science week 1 27 1268

Australian Animals - Bushland Animals 1 30 1057

Australian Animals - Marine Lift 1 22 773

Palaeontology thru Puppetry 3 9 469

MIAB - Minibeast Magnified 1 3 262

MIAB - Indigenous Art 1 7 182

MIAB - Echidna Workshop 1 6 142

Crime Scene to Court Room – Science week 1 7 115

Meet the Megafauna 1 1 50

Web 2 Spider 1 1 45

Extreme Energy – Science week 1 4 77

Dynamic Earth 1 1 30

MIAB - Reptiles Art Workshop 1 1 14

Total (2009-2010) 20 153 6059



What we can learn from this Initiative ?

• What does a video conference from a content provider, such as the Australian Museum, enable?

– Access to experts and primary resources from remote locations in the comfort of the classroom

• What types of conferences do you offer?

– Natural and cultural history topics

• Who are the participants/Who is involved?

– Museum Educators, Scientists, Indigenous staff, visual arts educators, curators, artists, experts in the field

• What are the special needs for schools?

– Timed to suit schools, interactivity, engaging presenters, appropriate for stage/level of students, curriculum relevance



What we can learn from this Initiative ?

• Who else might this facility be used for or with?

– Libraries, TAFE’s, Community Groups (including remote and outback locations), Universities, overseas classrooms and other locations

• What are the possibilities?

– Pre-visit and post visit class discussions, Professional Developmentworkshops/demonstrations for Teachers

• What are the limits?

– Human resources, technical resources (including adequate broadband coverage) and financial resources. Adequate cost recovery/sustainability.

• Where do we see ourselves heading in the future?

– Delivering nationally and globally; Behind the Scenes Museum tours; following a scientist out in the field.



Thank you

Any Questions ?

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