Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 1 EduNet: Internet-based Education Network Martina Zitterbart Axel Böger, Oliver Brand, Till Harbaum, Dirk Sturzebecher Institute of Operating Systems and Computer Networks Technical University of Braunschweig 1. Motivation 2. Technical infrastructure 3. Synchronous learning with MACS 4. Asynchronous learning with To/oL 5. Summary and outlook

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 2 Motivation o Goal l Prototype an Internet-based distance learning environment at TU Braunschweig o Components l Technical infrastructure (network, multimedia teaching rooms) l Tools for learning and collaboration (asynchronous and synchronous) l Learning and teaching material o Interdisciplinary project l Partially funded by the Ministery of Research and Culture in Lower Saxony, Germany –October 1997 to September 1999 l Project members –2 computer science, 1 electrical engineering, 2 didactic and evaluation Internet

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 3 Technical Infrastructure o Networking l Stepwise improvement of campus backbone –ATM-technology since it can provide quality of service o Room equipment l 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 Teacher desk Teacher camera Learner camera Internet Beamer remote learners Beamer Teacher- mikrophone Learner mikrophones Room University X Room University Y Room Speaker Student A Student B o Enhanced group awareness l Microphone(s) and camera(s) for learners l Projection of remote learners

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 5 MACS: Modular Advanced Collaboration System o Goal l Provide a framework for tele-collaboration l Integrate dedicated support for tele-teaching o Characteristics l Modular –New applications can be integrated l Portable and Internet-based –Java-based l Scalable –Provides suited mechanisms for different collaboration scenarios –E.g., tele-course, tele-seminar, tele-lab l Interworking with ITU (Netmeeting) and Mbone protocols l Visual session control –Mediation of group awareness –Control of access rights

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 6 Visual Session Control o Support of various scenarios (discussion group, round robin, agenda...) o Different levels of user state Multimedia equipment Remote controllable camera

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 7 IBR Whiteboard o Enhanced whiteboard l Tele-pointer l Tele-marker l Floor control l Support for late comer

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 8 Teaching with IBR Whiteboard beamer Auto-tracking camera Monitor and mouse used with IBR whiteboard Projection space Computer with Internet access

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 9 To/oL o To/oL l Tool for online/offline Learning o Characteristics l Based on Internet technologies –HTML, JavaScript, Java l Usable with direct Internet access (online) or without (offline) l Provides interactivity and virtual experiments o Interactivity l Individual and free navigation through content l access o Virtual experiments l Configurable animations and simulations l 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

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 11 Structure of the Content Slides... Detailed information Exercises Animations/ Simulations Topic 1 Topic Topic 2 o Navigation l Individual (as browsing through a book) l Guided through content bar o Multiple levels of detail

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 12 Animation: Network Protocols Pre-defined network configuration Selection of algorithm Control of simulation Manual configuration Computer Network internal systems Paket sent across the network Protocol information

Martina Zitterbart, TU Braunschweig 13 Summary and Outlook o Distance learning support of EduNet l Technical infrastructure that can be accessed by teachers and learners l Enhanced and easy to use tools –To/oL already used by other departments (e.g., chemistry) l Multimedia-based content –Virtual experiments –Interactivity o Evaluation l... difficult, since current experience is very limited o Follow-up project together with University Hannover, TU Clausthal l Improve and test tools l Integrated asynchronous and synchronous tools (i.e., To/oL and MACS) l Provide content for the diploma program information technology