Infrastructure for Creating a Cyberclassroom

1. Infrastructure for Creating a Cyberclassroom Jennifer Teig von Hoffman Boston University

2. How Did We Create Cyberclass? • The people were far more important than the technology • Connections among people led to… • Working together over email led to… • Developing a proposal for distributed project, to implement two classroom courses

3. What Was Class Infrastructure? • Project meetings and many, many class sessions on Access Grid • Distributed VR on tiled stereo wall for class projects • Email lists, including students • Web sites of various kinds

4. The Access Grid (AG) • A set of software applications, for collaborating across high-performance computer networks • Developed by Argonne National Laboratory • Much of what I’ll say would apply to any videoconferencing situation, not just AG

5. Year 1: UNM and BU Cyberclass • Three times a week, we used AG between UNM and BU • Pictured: Class on audio basics, using physical demonstrations

6. We Watched, and Learned

7. Year 2: Virtual Visits • Walatowa High Charter School had virtual visits with BU and UNM over the course of the year

8. Gotta Sweat the Small Stuff • Small technical details can make or break any AG meeting • Camera adjustments, lighting, microphone placement, software adjustments • Many things that should be easy may not be • Case in point: Sharing media

9. Can You Hear Me? • Audio problems far more disruptive than video problems! • We ensure that each person has access to a microphone • This may mean moving the microphone, or moving the person • Audio problems can be intermittent, so if problems arise pause to fix

10. Video Quality Matters • Think about how different it would feel to talk with each of the people pictured here • Both are me • Camera placement and lighting are essential!

11. Sharing Applications • This is still harder than it should be • During classes, we used VNC to show PowerPoint slides, and for software demonstrations • Sometimes when no software easily supported what we needed to do, we’d point a camera at the screen

12. Got Trouble? Text Chat Helps • We tried not to let technical issues disrupt classes • AG operators discuss problems amongst themselves through text chat • Today’s workshop organizers also have each others’ cell phone numbers

13. Complementary Teaching • “The guest lectures, the artists helped us incorporate into the VR world and the help from the BU people, sometimes you wish they were here but it’s an AG, it’s not perfect. That’s why we had teachers here. It’s been complementary; the tag team (teachers) help each other.” • [comment from UNM student]

14. No Other Class • “It worked good over the AG…It was good working with the team. No other class would have brought us together. “ • [comment from UNM student] UNM Class Project

15. Helping Newcomers Use the AG • Using video conferencing takes some getting used to • A little orientation helps – don’t jump right into instruction • It’s hard to remember to use the microphone, make sure you’re on camera, etc

16. Face Time Still Matters • We needed both AG and travel to really make this project work • “Glenn coming from BU [was one of the highlights of the class]. It’s okay to see them over the screen. But we got the full effect when saw him in person and picked his brain.” • [comment from UNM student]

17. Face Time During the Project

18. Questions?