David Bernholdt, NPAC/Syracuse University

Email: bernhold@npac.syr.eduTelephone: 315 443 3857Fax: 315 443 1973

During Year 3, NPAC worked with the NAVO PET staff and partners to introduce the TangoInteractive collaboratory tool for use in distance education and training. Significant activities included:

1. assisting with the installation of Tango at NAVO, which allowed them to participate in the January OpenMP distance training class delivered from CEWES,
2. a training on installation and operation of Tango attended by NAVO PET and Tennessee State U staff, and
3. assistance with the installation of Tango at Morgan State U, which allowed them to receive a class being delivered by Jackson State University.

In Year 4 we propose to extend access to distance training and education for NAVO PET and its partners by increasing access to the tools and to assistance in using them, as well as developing and delivering distance classes.

The first portion of the project involves a series of trainings covering:

1. Basic TangoInteractive Tutorial. Covers general collaborative use of Tango, a superset of distance learning applications from the student viewpoint.
2. Distance Education Workshop. Covers tools and techniques fo both synchronous and asynchronous distance learning, and would be jointly presented by NPAC and the NAVO PET Training staff, who have substantial experience in the development of asynchronous training resources. The synchronous portion of the workshop will focus on the use of TangoInteractive as a delivery tool (primarily instructor's viewpoint, rather than students).
3. Installation and operation of TangoInteractive servers. This training is useful for those sites that wish to install their own Tango servers to support locally originated distance learning activities.

The second portion of the project involves the development and delivery of distance classes. Much of DoD training for the MSRC and University education uses "low-end" approaches such as PowerPoint as this is very suitable for rapidly changing topics. However we believe that is useful to develop in some areas sophisticated training material where the topics are changing less rapidly. Here we have tentatively identified "basic parallel programming", in a form that is complimentary to the core MPI courseware (asynchronous) currently being developed by the NAVO PET Training team.

We suggest that it makes sense to develop all new material so that it can both be viewed asynchronously over the web and delivered synchronously using TANGO Interactive. This requires that we establish procedures (best practices) for key authoring techniques and package them for easy use. This needs to be addressed from different points of view including:

1. Basic TANGO Interactive Delivery
2. Multimedia delivery and integration of lecture recording
3. Database support for "distributed object" educational model

We have in hand (but not yet fully packaged) good support for basic HTML and PowerPoint In near future we will deliver general shared cursor, better Internet assistant with good HTML versions. This will be finished during year 3. This support of type (a) can be linked with ASC supported work in areas (b) and (c) for these authoring models. With ARL support, we supply some support for WebCT.

For NAVO in Year 4, we propose focusing on support of advanced authoring methods and their test and demonstration in a sophisticated training/educational module for parallel processing. The following TANGO Interactive capabilities will be developed:

1. Support for glossaries and interactive quizzes using the best XML and dynamic HTML approach. This will enable many of the key capabilities of the current Cornell Virtual Workshop to be supported building on either HTML or exported PowerPoint.
2. Support for Javabeans and Java applets embedded in web pages. We have a prototype of this, which will be extended. Currently TANGO Interactive can share Java applets but each applet must be separately identified as a TANGO Interactive application.
3. Support for sharing of material prepared with a high-end authoring tool such as Macromedia Director or Authorware. This requires further planning of both technology and expected training material

All this work will come with complete documentation.

We hope to use funding from the other centers to build complete linked support of types (a), (b), and (c) for a few key authoring systems.

Combining the support for enhanced authoring and presentation methods with the courseware development in basic parallel programming, we will provide to interested NAVO PET partners an academic class in the Fall'99 term to test and obtain feedback on both the tools and the materials. The course materials will be revised appropriately and will then be made available to the DoD user community in the form of a more condensed distance training class in basic parallel programming.

During the Spring'00 term, we will offer our "CPS616 Web Technologies and Software"

• TANGO Interactive support for glossaries and interactive quizzes (Jan'00)
• TANGO Interactive support for embedded applets and Javabeans (Nov'99)
• TANGO Interactive support for Macromedia Director/Authorware material (Mar'00)
• Beta version of parallel computing courseware delivered as academic credit class to interested sites using beta versions of Tango enhancements (Aug-Dec'99)
• Production release of parallel computing courseware, ready for delivery as training or academic class (Feb'00)
• Distance Training in basic parallel computing (Feb'00 or later)
• CPS616 - Web Technologies and Software delivered as academic credit class to interested sites (Jan-May'00)
• Basic TangoInteractive Tutorial (TBD)
• Distance Education Development and Delivery Workshop (TBD)
• Training on installation and operation of TangoInteractive server (TDB)

Develops new/enhanced courseware for core HPC in line with the vision articulated by Bob Melnik. Delivers these materials in the form of training classes to MSRC users, and as an academic credit class to students at interested NAVO PET partner institutions. Expands the pool of providers of distance training and education through a workshop for NAVO PET partners.

Any and all PET affiliates will be encouraged to participate in this project as recipients of the classes and trainings offered.

Total Project Cost: $99,298

This proposal has many similarities with one recently submitted to the CEWES MSRC PET program for its Year 4; we envision a project which transcends MSRC boundaries. In terms of course delivery, the plan to deliver the same courses, with CEWES funding supporting participation by CEWES partners, and NAVO funding supporting the involvement of NAVO partners. If only one of the proposals were funded, the classes would proceed as planned, but we would only be able to support the participation of affiliates of the funding Center. For the courseware development and associated Tango enhancements, funding from both Centers would allow for a larger amount of courseware to be produced at the levels of sophistication described, but we expect to be able to make useful progress with support from one Center. In the event of funding from both Centers it would also be possible to make small modifications to the deliverables so that one Center primarily supports the courseware development while the other focuses on the Tango enhancements. This approach may be useful if there is concern about the overlap.