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Basic foilset Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education

Given by Nancy McCracken at Education Session SC98 Orlando on November 8-12 1998. Foils prepared January 31 99
Outside Index Summary of Material

Instructors at Syracuse University taught a computational science course at Jackson State University, fall 1997 and spring 1998.
They used Tango Interactive for on-line lectures in a traditional semester course.
The Tango technology uses Netscape browsers and Internet networking for audio, video, lecture slides and collaborative applications.
Goals:
  • to investigate the use of the Tango technology in distance learning.
  • to participate in technology transfer in the DoD Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) program.

Table of Contents for full HTML of Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education

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1 Synchronous Learning at a Distance: Experiences with Tango Interactive
2 Abstract
3 Acknowledgements
4 Synchronous Distance Education
5 CSC499 at Jackson State
6 Course organization
7 TANGO Interactive collaboratory system
8 WebWisdom and Chat
9 SharedBrowser and Whiteboard
10 BuenaVista
11 Tango Architecture
12 Tango Application - WebWisdom
13 Network Architecture
14 Observations about the Network
15 Results
16 Lessons Learned
17 Future Directions
18 Changing Model of Instruction
19 Vision of model of Instruction

Outside Index Summary of Material

HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 1 Synchronous Learning at a Distance: Experiences with Tango Interactive

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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David Bernhold, Geoffrey Fox,
Roman Markowski, Nancy McCracken
Marek Podgorny, Thomas Scavo,
at Syracuse University,
Qutaibah Malluhi, Debasis Mitra,
at Jackson State University
Presented by Nancy McCracken at Supercomputing 98
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 2 Abstract

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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Instructors at Syracuse University taught a computational science course at Jackson State University, fall 1997 and spring 1998.
They used Tango Interactive for on-line lectures in a traditional semester course.
The Tango technology uses Netscape browsers and Internet networking for audio, video, lecture slides and collaborative applications.
Goals:
  • to investigate the use of the Tango technology in distance learning.
  • to participate in technology transfer in the DoD Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) program.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 3 Acknowledgements

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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This work was funded (in part) by the DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station (CEWES) Major Shared Resource Center through Programming Environment Training (PET) through contract DAHC94-96-C-002 with Nichols Research Corporation.
The major technology Tango Interative was initially developed with funding from Rome Laboratory.
Curriculum development was largely funded by the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 4 Synchronous Distance Education

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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In self-paced, or asynchronous learning, a student studies material in his or her own time - the essence of this is a web site which links to material on-line or in a database.
  • optimal for highly motivated mature students such as those in continuing education
  • electronic version of using a library
In synchronous learning, the teacher selects material from the web site and delivers it in electronic virtual class rooms
  • Homework is set from same web site which remains a base asynchronous resource
  • This is a natural mode when the teacher's insight delivers motivation and clarification of key material to student
  • electronic version of traditional classes
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 5 CSC499 at Jackson State

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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Course content is "Programming for the Web", and is primarily Java GUI web programming. Course is "add-on" content to JSU courses.
Course delivery includes
  • lectures every Tuesday and Thursday for 1 hour 20 minutes
    • instructors show lecture slides, programming examples, and diagrams in Syracuse
    • students "see" instructor's selections on a PC workstation in a lab in Jackson and "hear" instructor's voice
    • ask questions with "chat"
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 6 Course organization

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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Students write programming assignments and submit them via their own web page. Students work in lab at JSU or at home and have access to compute servers both at SU and JSU
Mentoring and grading by SU instructors via email and on-line "post-office" and grading system.
Mentoring and monitoring by JSU instructors via email and office visits.
Three semester "in-person" visits by SU instructors to Jackson.
  • very important due to limited bandwidth for video
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 7 TANGO Interactive collaboratory system

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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Tango is a collaboratory system that runs inside a web browser and is implemented with Internet technologies and protocols.
At the Tango web page, you log in and get the Control Application which is the session manager and allows you to use collaboratory tools.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 8 WebWisdom and Chat

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
Full HTML Index
WebWisdom is a presentation tool for lecture slides. In addition to navigating a set of slides, it allows links to supporting material at the web site. It is shown here along with a Chat window and audio control.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 9 SharedBrowser and Whiteboard

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
Full HTML Index
The Shared Browser tool allows the instructor to share the navigation of regular web pages. The Whiteboard tool allows all participants to draw.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 10 BuenaVista

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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BuenaVista is a multi-platform audio/video conferencing system developed at NPAC.
Audio was constantly used for the instructor's lecture.
Without headphones, the students found it difficult to ask questions with audio and instead used Chat.
In the 97/98 academic year, there was insufficient bandwidth most of the time for video. It is available in the fall of 1998 and is used constantly during the current semester's class.
BuenaVista requires limited but consistent bandwidth and was the most sensitive part of the system to network conditions.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 11 Tango Architecture

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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Java Tango Server
.......
Share URL's
Audio Video
Conferencing Chat Rooms
White Boards etc.
Participants at JSU
Teacher/Lecturer at NPAC
.......
Java Socket
TCP/IP
Java Control Clients
Java Socket
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 12 Tango Application - WebWisdom

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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NPAC Web Server
JSU Web Server
Java Tango Server
.......
Address at JSU of Curriculum Page
Teacher's View of Curriculum Page
Student's View of Curriculum Page
Participants at JSU
Teacher/Lecturer at NPAC
.......
Java Control Clients
Course material mirrored at remote site - either on a web server as shown here or on a CDROM.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 13 Network Architecture

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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We first used an ordinary Internet connection provided by NYSERNet, Sprint, ICP and BBNplanet. (Fall 1997 and most of Spring 1998)
  • NPAC --> JSU (21 routers) 20-40 Kbps
  • JSU --> NPAC (17 routers) 500 Kbps
  • only supports audio, not video. Any significant packet loss at a router can cause streaming audio problems.
Improved network connection by installing T1 link between JSU and CEWES at Vicksburg, and going directly from Sprint to DREN (Defense Research and Engineering Network). Late Spring - Fall 1998.
  • after significant interaction with network administrators:
  • NPAC --> JSU (20 routers) 700 Kbps
  • JSU --> NPAC (19 routers) 700 Kbps
  • supports both audio and (2-way) video streams.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 14 Observations about the Network

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
Full HTML Index
Current network performance is unpredictable.
  • The connection at any of 20 routers can be interrupted at any time (actually happened about once a semester).
  • Packet loss can vary by 10% within minutes due to bursts of traffic.
Typical internet traffic is very high between 1 and 5pm, leaving insufficient bandwidth for time-sensitive applications.
Essential is a list of phone numbers and contact people (router administrators) who can react promptly when network problems occur.
For acceptable audio stream delivery, network latency should be below 0.5 seconds and jitter (variable speed delivery ) must be minimal.
  • This demonstrates the need for "Internet 2" traffic control mechanisms and resource reservation model.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 15 Results

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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Success: students successfully completed the course with programming homework assignments and received passing grades.
Success: students liked course in "leading edge" technology otherwise not available to them
  • Job fair employers were looking for Java/Web programming skills.
Technology transfer was successful: during last year, a JSU professor attended the course and is now teaching it at JSU, plans are for him to teach the course at another HBCU in the spring via Tango.
Challenge: but the students felt that the distance lectures were not as successful as in-class lectures.
  • Questionnaires suggest due to network interruptions and not as much personal interaction.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 16 Lessons Learned

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
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Challenge to instructor's style:
  • Give correctly-paced lectures without as many feedback cues from audience.
  • Need to keep to the point: digressions, which may be helpful in a standard lecture, tend to lose students.
  • Video and occasional face-to-face meetings important for "bonding" process.
Stable network environment is essential.
  • Technical support includes network administrator and remote lab technician.
  • 30 Kbps minimum for audio. 100 Kbps minimum for video.
Local mentor is also important keeping students "on track".
Various improvements were added to the Tango applications as the courses progressed. One was to add intructor's "pointer" to WebWisdom.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 17 Future Directions

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
Full HTML Index
This fall improvements in networking have made video possible, so we will learn its effect on the comfort level of the students with remote lectures.
Continued improvements are being made to Tango.
Curriculum materials repository will be kept in a database backend to the web interface pages.
Improvements to various levels of authoring.
  • From low-level, where Powerpoint slides are converted to web.
  • To high-end, where full multi-media razzle-dazzle illustrations of concepts are created (similar to current CDROMs).
Further research in assessment made possible by gathering information from access of on-line course materials.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 18 Changing Model of Instruction

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
Full HTML Index
Traditional model:
Professors
Students
Done separately for each class at each university
Common Shared Books and Such Resources
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared January 31 99

Foil 19 Vision of model of Instruction

From Experiences using TangoInteractive in Distance Education Education Session SC98 Orlando -- November 8-12 1998. *
Full HTML Index
Shared curriculum materials
Professor
Outside
Students
Common Shared Books Web based Lecture Material
and Similar Resources
Universities specialize in particular course contents.
Local Students
INTERNET
3)
2)
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