A Testbed for Collaborative Interactive Remote Instruction

基于其在网络、计算机支持的协同工作和远程学习方面的专业知识，Old Dominion大学将准备建立一个基于网络工作站的全州范围内的高度交互式远程教学（IRI）测试平台。在试验台开发的技术和教学方法将被整合到TELETECHNET中，TELETECHNET是一个国家资助的项目，由老道明大学和社区学院提供为期四年的项目。前两年将在社区大学授课，后两年由老道明大学通过网络和电视课程指导提供给偏远的社区大学校园。该项目将包括为期一年的准备阶段（由本提案涵盖）和为期三年的研究、开发和实施阶段（由后续提案涵盖）。这个为期一年的项目的重要贡献包括：1)改进现有的IRI原型，提供一个开放的教学/学习环境，具有一系列易于所有学科的学生和教师使用的基本功能；2)发展新教学方法的基本概念，以利用系统的互动性来支持更高的学习领域；3)准备将致力于21世纪教育创新方法的政府、工业界和学术界人士联合起来。这将为弗吉尼亚州提供一种具有成本效益的远程提供高质量教育的方法奠定基础，以支持预计到2001年将在弗吉尼亚州公立学院和大学注册的50,000名额外学生中的一些人。所建议的硬件/软件架构使用现有技术，但预计在不久的将来，高速信息高速公路和多媒体工作站的可用性会更广泛。该体系结构提供了一个开放的环境，许多类型的教学材料和教学软件都可以被纳入其中。原型机为远程站点提供双向视频；x窗口工具和应用程序的共享操作；交互式笔记;像录像机一样回放过去的课程和辅助材料，以及一个全动态视频窗口，可以显示讲师，课堂演示或任何PC， Macintosh或X-window应用程序。这种教学能力超越了传统的电视课程和传统的教室，使教师和学生能够访问从各种来源生成的多媒体，并使用小组协作工具在两个参与者之间、小组之间或整个班级之间进行互动。该系统将提供视听交互，并允许教师和远程学生共享对软件工具的操作，如电子表格或化学模型。虽然IRI的要素目前在技术上是可行的，但该项目的主要工作是开发利用环境的以学生为中心的新教学方法和范例，并通过实际教学需要的经验改进硬件和软件。我们的方法成功的关键是一个接口，所有学科的学生和教师都可以使用内部培训。这一体系将提供接受高等教育的机会，而不仅仅是那些出于个人或经济原因而选择不住在四年制大学的传统学生。IRI将促进所有参与的学生和教师有效地使用网络和计算机技术。接触以技术为基础的互动将有助于学生为提高全球竞争力的挑战做好准备。如果五年内一半的TELETECHNET课程使用IRI，教师和学生都接受并受益于这种教学模式，那么Old Dominion大学将认为整个项目在开发长期自我维持系统方面取得了成功，这可以用成本满意度等指标来证明，并且完成四年制学位的学生数量有所增加。如果我们在真实的班级环境中使用了IRI系统的一个版本，并发现了该版本中的问题，我们将认为一年的阶段是成功的。＊＊＊

9552593 Maly Building on its expertise in networking, computer supported collaborative work, and remote learning, Old Dominion University will prepare to build a statewide highly Interactive Remote Instruction (IRI) testbed based on networked workstations. Technology and pedagogical methods developed in testbed will be integrated into TELETECHNET, a state funded program in which Old Dominion University and community colleges will provide four-year programs. The first two years will be taught at the community colleges with the last two being provided by Old Dominion University to remote community college campuses via networked and televised course instructions. The project will consist of a one- year preparatory phase, covered by this proposal, and a three-year phase of research, development, and implementation to be covered by a follow-on proposal. Significant contributions of the proposed one-year project include: 1) refining an existing IRI prototype to provide an open-ended teaching/learning environment with a set of basic features easy to use by students and faculty of all disciplines; 2) developing the basic concepts of new instructional methods to exploit the interactivity of the system in support of higher domains of learning; and 3) preparing to bring together a consortium of government, industry and academic individuals who are dedicated to innovative approaches to education for the 21st century. This will lay the foundation in providing Virginia with a cost-effective method of delivering high quality education remotely in support of some of the 50,000 additional students expected to enroll in Virginia's public colleges and universities by the year 2001. The proposed hardware/software architectures use existing technologies but anticipate the wider availability of a high-speed Information superhighway and multimedia workstations in the near future. The architecture provides an open environment in which many types of teaching materials and inst ructional software can be incorporated. The prototype provides two-way video to remote sites; shared operation of X-window tools and applications; interactive note-taking; a VCR-like replay of past classes and ancillary material and a full motion video window which can display the instructor, a classroom demonstration, or any PC, Macintosh or X-window application. This instructional capability goes beyond traditional TV courses and traditional classrooms by enabling instructors and students to access multimedia generated from a variety of sources and to use group collaboration tools for interaction between two participants, among small groups, or entire classes. The system will provide audio-visual interaction and allow faculty and remote-site students to share the manipulation of software tools, such as spreadsheets or chemistry models. While the elements of IRI are currently technically feasible, a major portion of the project's efforts are directed to the developing of new student-centered teaching methods and paradigms which take advantage of the environment and to refining the hardware and software through experience of actual instructional needs. Key to the success of our approach is an interface which students and faculty from all disciplines can use with intimal training. This system will provide access to higher education, not only for traditional students, who for personal or financial reasons choose not to reside at a four-year institution. IRI will promote effective use of network and computer technology for all participating students and faculty. Exposure to technology-enabled interaction will help prepare students for the challenges of increased global competitiveness. Old Dominion University will consider the total project a success in developing a long-term self-sustaining system if half the TELETECHNET courses use IRI within five years, both faculty and students accept and benefit from this mode of teaching as demonstrated with such metr ics as cost satisfaction and there is an increase in the number of students completing four-year degrees. We will consider the one-year phase successful if we shall have used a version of the IRI system in a real class environment and identified the problems in that version. ***