Video‐Collaboration Technologies in
Blended Courses—Student and
Faculty Reflections
Tanya Zlateva, Leo Burstein, Lou Chitkushev,
Anatoly Temkin, Michael Hylkema
Outline
1. Motivation for Using Video Collaboration in Blended
Courses (eLive)
2. The Multiple Faces of Video Collaboration Explored with
Three Different Technologies
 IOCOM: Multi-Point Video Collaboration for working
groups of 5-15 students
 ConfXP: Video Bridge Between Two Remote Classroom
Audiences
 DimDim through Met-Meet: Video Webinars, Live
Video-Talk Show, Whiteboard Tutoring
3. Conclusions and Future Work
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Motivation for Using Video Collaboration
• Educational promise of online learning environments lies not
primarily in their "any time any place" convenience but in the
unprecedented richness of the medium—spoken and written word,
voice, video, music, collaboration tools, among others
• Asynchronous components well established in distance delivery—
chats, videos, simulations, animations, threaded discussions,
webinars
• Missing: immediacy and dynamics of live video communication and
the information from gesture, facial expression, body language
• Blended delivery—reduced face-to-face time supplemented with
extensive online materials
• eLive format at MET: one on-campus class a month, i.e. 4 face-toface meetings in a typical 14-week semester
• First blended program, Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensic, was
launched in Fall 2007
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Motivation for Using Video Collaboration (continued)
• Challenge: maintaining learning momentum and the connection
with the students during the three consecutive off-campus weeks
• Weekly synchronous video conferencing sessions especially
attractive solution as it is closest to face-to-face communication
• Theoretical work shows the importance of distance for
communication in general and learning in particular and of gives
indirect support for the value of VC
– Classic work by Tom Allen on communication patterns in the 1970s
showed that
• frequency of communication diminishes with increased distance and that this
holds true for all types of communication (phone and e-mail)
• important decisions tend to be made in face-to-face meetings
– Theory of transactional distance (Michael Moore, 1970s) in education
focuses on teaching and learning strategies that shorten the distance
between learners and teachers.
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Criteria for Technology Choices
• Functionality in addition to audio/video:
presentation tools, whiteboard, chat
• Minimal installation/training requirement for
students and faculty
• Ability to access from any location, e.g. from
home, work, etc.
• Low cost (open source, SaaS)
• Availability of support, especially important
for piloting emerging technologies
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Comparison of Technologies and Recommended Use
Technology
Features
Client side
reqs
Capabilities
Cost
Best Suited For:
IOCOM
Multipoint
• Multiple
participants
• Multidirecti
onal
• 100 Kbs
(DSL+)
• client
software
required
• Voice & video
• Slide pres.
• Desktop
sharing,
• Chat, etc.
• Proprietary
• ca. $100
per student
per
semester
• service
Interactive
group
discussions og
5-15
participants
• Very high
quality
voice+video
• Annotated
slide pres.
• Desktop
sharing
• Chat, etc.
• Open
source,
• Free
• Internally
hosted
• Remote
Classroom
Audiences
• Joint
Seminars/
Meetings
• Open
source,
• Free
• Internally
hosted
• Video Webinars
• Whiteboard 1to-1 Tutoring
• Live Video-Talk
Show
ConfXP
• Several (2• 1-2
Video
5) rooms,
Mbs/room
Bridging
possible
• Corporate
with or w/o • multiple
sites
Classroom
cameras,
• high-speed
Presenter
• high quality
broadband
audio/video client
software
DimDim
through
Met-Meet
Video
Webinar
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• Few (2
optimal)
presenters,
• Large
number of
listeners
• >= 56 Kbs;
• Audio/video
• no client
• Slide pres
software,
• Chat, etc.
browser
based
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Technology Characteristics
IOCom
• Usage: Brainstorming sessions or situations where all attendees should be viewed and heard
simultaneously.
• Large number of simultaneous audio / video streams including support for multiple feeds from
single host (two camera's for example).
• More involved client installation required.
• Whiteboard, desktop sharing, shared presentations, and multimedia (recorded videos, audio files,
etc.) sharing.
• Rooms can be created for recurrent use.
Conference XP
• Usage: Bridging / Linking 2 or 3 rooms for large room based collaborative meetings.
• High quality audio / video.
• Support for multiple feeds from single host (two camera's for example).
• Group Chat functionality.
• Presentations in two modes.
– Basic: Present slides, anyone can annotate.
– Advanced: Present slides, annotations submitted, polls, save slides w/ changes, whiteboard.
• Simple client installation process (Windows only); other platforms can be supported with Access
Grid.
DimDim through Met-meet
• Usage: Highly attended webinar with one way audio / video.
• Limited support for additional “presenters” with audio / video.
• Integrated public and private chat features.
• Whiteboard, Desktop sharing and powerpoint / pdf sharing.
• Shared Internet browsing.
• Runs in web browser (no install required) and therefore multiplatform.
• No persistent rooms. Rooms are
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Demo Setup
• Tablet #1:
– internal + external webcams,
– wireless headset,
– connected to projector and room speakers;
– internal mic.
• Tablet #2 (outside of the room):
– presenter webcam,
– wireless USB headset, one network cable.
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Demo 1: IOCOM—Multi-Point Video Collaboration
Scenario
•
•
•
•
T2 (Mike): waits in the Test room.
T1 (Leo): Start IOCOM client, check audio, go to
Vista, go to IOCOM, enter test room
T2: Mike introduces himself
T1: Bring in piano lesson
– Sessions can be recorded
– Recorded sessions can be brought into live
sessions
– Show video of 20-point conference.
Student and faculty reflections:
• Rich functionality
• Light client accessible from home
• Complex technology requires
–more support
–training of staff, faculty, and students
–worthwhile for group project discussions
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Demo 2: Video Bridging With Conf. XP
Scenario:
•
•
•
T1: Start ConfXP, check a/v, enter BU venue.
T2: joins
T1: Present infrastructure slides
–
•
•
•
Annotations on slide1.
Whiteboard: instructor pose problem
Student Submissions
Quick Poll
Student and faculty reflections.
•
•
•
High bandwidth requirements Access from corporate sides
Stable application sharing
Integrated with Classroom Presenter--a tablet-based interaction system
 slide sharing
 student submissions, instructor feedback, corrected student
submission promotes active learning
Carla Romney used extensively in MET SEP classroom classes
With ConfXP it can be taken globally, e.g. international programs
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Video Bridging with Conf. XP (cont.)
met-reflector.bu.edu
Internet 2
•
•
•
•
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Low cost solution
Internally hosted virtual infrastructure
Open Source software,
no licensing costs
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Demo 3: Met-Meet — Video Webinar
Scenario:
• Startup (met-meet.bu.edu)
–
–
•
T1: Annotated Presentation: Load infrastructure
slides, draw on a slide2. Show three types of Q/A
–
–
–
•
Tablet1 – (disconnect webcam2), start browser, go to metmeet, start meeting “CET”.
Tablet2 – start browser, go to met-meet, join meeting
“CET”.
Public Q/A
Private Q/A
Mediated Q/A
Whiteboard demo: 1-t-1 tutoring
–
–
T1: give T2 control
Fda demo
Student and faculty reflections.
•
•
•
•
Extremely easy access, browser based /no client software
Robust application
Limited Functionality
Other Uses: Live Video Talk Shaw
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Met-Meet (Cont.)
MET Virtual Data Center
Internet
Webcasting
Infrastructure
Presentation
and
Responses
(Video, Voice, Slides)
Video
Recording
Station
Slides
Video
Browser
Closed-Loop
“Video Chat”
Audio
Control
Panel
Slides
Video
Questions &
Feedback Chat
Mic
Presenter
Assistant
using
Tablet PC Summarized
Questions and
Comments
from Listeners
Room
(Voice)
Ongoing
Bi-Directional Chat
(Text)
Remote Participants
•
•
•
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Low cost solution:
Open Source (DimDim-based) software, no
licensing costs
Internally hosted virtual infrastructure
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Future Work
• “Package” IOCOM and MET-meet to position
them as tools that can be used in blended and
online MS programs
• Systematic evaluation of technologies by
students and faculty, followed by continuous
improvements in capabilities, training,
documentation, support.
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