Full HTML for

Scripted foilset Web Technology and Applications for Education

Given by Geoffrey Fox at CRPC Annual Meeting on May 14-17 1996. Foils prepared May 12 1996
Outside Index Summary of Material

This is abstracted from two more complete presentations
http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/webwisdommar96/index.html
http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/webwisdomapr96/index.html
We discuss basic technologies Java, JavaScript, VRML, Web-linked databases and Digital Video and illustrate how we use them in a set of projects
These are Basic University Classes, Distance Education in context of WebWisdom Virtual University
Living SchoolBook (ATM linked K-12), Phy105/106 (Undergraduate Science for non Science majors)
We stress some analogies with HealthCare both for Information dissemination and use of virtual reality front ends with home health care and education for disabled

Table of Contents for full HTML of Web Technology and Applications for Education

 Denote Foils where Image Critical
Denote Foils where HTML is sufficient
denotes presence of Additional linked information which is lightgreened out if missing
1 Web Technology and Applications for Education
2 Abstract for Web Technology for Education
3 What Types of Technologies Does NPAC Develop in Education
4 Web Education Areas of Interest to NPAC
5 Some Technology Contributions of NPAC
6 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - I
7 Examples of the Use of Java in Education
8 Visible Human
9 Java Slide Show
10 Science for the 21st Century Phy105/106
11 Enrollment in Phy 105/106
12 Syllabus / Representative Modules
13 Science for the 21st Century -- Neurons as Building Blocksd
14 Science for the 21st Century -- The Cortex
15 Encoder neural network tutorial and simulation page
16 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - II
17 Possible Uses of JavaScript in Education
18 Tentative Logo for WebWisdom Virtual University
19 ECS400 Spring 1996 Home Page
20 CPS 616 Homepage
21 JavaScript Based WebFoil Prototype
22 Synergies with TeleMedicine
23 JavaScript Based Patient Record Database -I
24 JavaScript Based Patient Record Database -II
25 Education in a Box -- Initial Steps to Understand Web Based Education
26 Scope of Certificate in Computational Science
27 Scalable Certificates in Computational Science
28 Chinese Youth reports ICPSEP, the "classroom across countries" between NPAC at Syracuse University, USA, and PACT at Harbin Institute of Technology, China
29 Xin Wan Bao reports ICPSEP, the "classroom across countries" between NPAC at Syracuse University, USA, and PACT at Harbin Institute of Technology, China
30 Some Synergies between Education and Home Based Health Care
31 The Neat Thing in Action I
32 The Neat Thing in Action III
33 The Neat Thing in Action II
34 Eyal Sherman -- Using Neattools
35 Java Applet Version of Neattools
36 From a PC/Macintosh Presentation to the Web
37 RCIHalloween Presentation Foil on WebFoil in WebFoil!!
38 Experiences with WebFoil
39 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - IV
40 WebWindows DataBase Activities at NPAC
Oracle (Relational) , Illustra (Object) Databases linked to the Web
41 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - V
42 Possible Uses of VRML in Education
43 Living SchoolBook Collaboration -- ATM linked K-12 Schools
44 Living SchoolBook Results/Developments
45 T4:GIS - 3D Terrain Rendering in VRML
46 VRML Terrain Renerer with Herkimer House Web Page
47 Link between Interactive Journey and classroom multimedia projects
48 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - VI
49 Possible Uses of Digital Video in Education
50 CNN Newsource Database, video of President Clinton
51 Berlin Journey of a City, documentary by Bob Frye

Outside Index Summary of Material

HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 1 Web Technology and Applications for Education

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/crpcedtechmay96/index.html
CRPC Annual Meeting
May 16 1996
Geoffrey Fox
NPAC
Syracuse University
111 College Place
Syracuse NY 13244-4100
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 2 Abstract for Web Technology for Education

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
This is abstracted from two more complete presentations
http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/webwisdommar96/index.html
http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/webwisdomapr96/index.html
We discuss basic technologies Java, JavaScript, VRML, Web-linked databases and Digital Video and illustrate how we use them in a set of projects
These are Basic University Classes, Distance Education in context of WebWisdom Virtual University
Living SchoolBook (ATM linked K-12), Phy105/106 (Undergraduate Science for non Science majors)
We stress some analogies with HealthCare both for Information dissemination and use of virtual reality front ends with home health care and education for disabled
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 3 What Types of Technologies Does NPAC Develop in Education

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
We do not focus on Computer Based Instruction
Rather we try to develop aids to the teachers which could in principle be used by student on their own (constructivist approach) but can equally easily be used in more traditional teacher-led model
  • All our current projects are of the latter traditional type
So our digital video is aimed at helping teacher select short clips to show in class to augment lesson
Web technologies do help "automate" education but so much more and rapidly changing information that one expects teacher to be key in navigating through information overload!
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 4 Web Education Areas of Interest to NPAC

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Living SchoolBook with 3 schools connected by ATM to NPAC -- excellent content, SU School of Education, Teacher Partnership
Science for the 21st Century -- Science for non Scientists taught using (partially) Web Modules with growing student interest (currently 250 enrolled)
Graduate/Continuing Education -- 4 courses and several Related Tutorials on the Web
Education in a Box -- Web based Certificate in Computational Science offered at graduate level to initial group of students in China
HPCC and Parallel Computing Consulting -- Develop resources to help NSF supercomputer centers consultants -- partiucularly interesting for resolicitation with distributed centers
Interfaces for disabled as by product of home health care project
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 5 Some Technology Contributions of NPAC

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Text Indexed Video -- CNN/Reuters/Discovery Channel and other Video available on demand for use as supplemental material using Oracle based text index based on close captioning, associated programming or eventually speech recognition from video.
Perl, Java and JavaScript WebWisdom system to allow Web Interface to Presentations with over 160 foilsets and 6500 foils
VRML(3D) and Java(2D) Interface to Geographical Information System with clickable locations to be added by teacher and students -- this is virtual field trip
Java Client Applets for Visible Human, Animation of algorithmic structure etc.
Object databases for storage of VRML -- currently terrain data but will add annotated (by hyperlinks) VRML from weather and other HPCC simulations
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 6 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - I

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Java -- Objected Oriented version of C/C++ supporting Interactive Distributed Computing. Previous Web computing (eg CGI) was server-side. Java allows design and Implementation of balanced Client Server Applications
  • Java likely to be a dominant software engineering language
  • Java will probably be prefered language for development of next generation Web servers and clients
  • Java Applets can implement Client Side (and hence scalable) Simulations to bring to life educational concepts e.g. neural networks, ecosystems, math functions etc.
  • Java can build customized GUI's and graphics/image processing as in NPAC's Visible Human Viewer (won JARS award Dec 95)
  • Java will be used for filters/agents to convert formats etc.
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 7 Examples of the Use of Java in Education

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
I expect Java to be the the dominant implementation language for everything on the Web from Servers, Clients, MOO's, filters, Animations, Simulations etc.
Can build neat clickable images including Visible Human (biology education!) and our 2D "Interactive Journey" clickable GIS for New York State
This has several obvious near term applications including some examples of education in HPCC arena:
  • Downloading software for demonstrations or general client side computing
  • Use of Java to animate the display of performance visualization data
  • Use of Java to produce visualizations of data movement in algorithms such as matrix and particle dynamics -- Brown University initially demonstrated in sorting
The above examples are quite interesting reasons for introduction of electronic journals as you should be able to explain complex ideas better this way
Note Web was initially book/libraries done digitally.
Now we are the second wave of opportunities exploiting the specific advantages of distributed computing backbone
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 8 Visible Human

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 9 Java Slide Show

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 10 Science for the 21st Century Phy105/106

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
4 credit General Science for non-science majors over 2 semesters
Modules have Interdisciplinary Themes
Mix of Lectures, demonstrations, lab, team projects and web-based learning
Enrollment steadily increases while University decreases!
NSF MRA will develop Java applets as client-side simulations and display of HPCC results
  • material science, neural networks, basic math (see vector cross product applet)
Also explore VRML and Interactive Digital Video
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 11 Enrollment in Phy 105/106

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 12 Syllabus / Representative Modules

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Scientific Literacy
Modules which include Web page(s):
  • Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)
  • Mind and Machine
  • Pseudoscience vs. the Scientific Method
  • Evolution vs. Creationism
  • Imaging in Science
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 13 Science for the 21st Century -- Neurons as Building Blocksd

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Mind and Machines Module
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 14 Science for the 21st Century -- The Cortex

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Mind and Machines Module
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 15 Encoder neural network tutorial and simulation page

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 16 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - II

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
JavaScript -- only superficially related to Java and was called LiveScript -- is Netscape's fully interpreted Client side extension of HTML. This is a good integration/customization technology where flexibility more important than performance
i.e. use JavaScript for Rapid Prototyping
  • Current examples use JavaScript together with frames (Netscape HTML extension) for interactive multi-window technologies
  • JavaScript is roughly equivalent to "Abstract Windowing Toolkit/ Layout Manager" in Java but applied to Netscape Frames and not Java windows
  • JavaScript cannot build filters or simulations
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 17 Possible Uses of JavaScript in Education

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
There are some cases where JavaScript is a rapid prototyping alternative to Java (Java can in principle do anything!)
Current use (demonstrated in WebWisdom) is for customized display's of information where base information, simulations, audio(video), and indices can be linked in a friendly fashion.
Syracuse is extending to a set of WebTools (originally developed as Server CGI scripts) with which you can build customized front-ends with user defined configurations choosing between type of access (administrator and naive user would be different) and display capabilities (resolution, color) of terminal
Note client side and so fast even though interpreted
However does not yet have (but needs) text processing capabilities of Perl
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 18 Tentative Logo for WebWisdom Virtual University

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 19 ECS400 Spring 1996 Home Page

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
From Meryem Ispirli
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 20 CPS 616 Homepage

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 21 JavaScript Based WebFoil Prototype

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Rome Laboratory Collaborative and Interactive Visualization Jan 31,96
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 22 Synergies with TeleMedicine

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
There are several clear analogies between medical and education infomation systems and indeed we built a patient record database using similar JavaScript technology to that developed for WebFoil
TeleMedicine -- Video Conferencing -- evolving to Medical Interventional Informatics -- a full interactive rich (Web) environment
K-12 School Nurse - Web based patient record database with links to medical information (diagnosis, treatment) and 3 hierarchy levels:
  • 1) nurse terminals in local K-12 schools, connected to
  • 2) nurse practitioner station at the SU Nursing College, connected to
  • 3) pediatrician station at SUNY HSC (Local Hospital).
Naturally synergistic with Teacher -- School of Education etc. Interactions
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 23 JavaScript Based Patient Record Database -I

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Rome Laboratory Collaborative and Interactive Visualization Jan 31,96
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 24 JavaScript Based Patient Record Database -II

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Rome Laboratory Collaborative and Interactive Visualization Jan 31,96
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 25 Education in a Box -- Initial Steps to Understand Web Based Education

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Certificate in Computational Science offered at Harbin Institute of Technology (China) Spring 1996 -- started March 1,1996 -- is a prototype of Syracuse University extension school
Although Internet Connections to China are not guaranteed to be great(!) we can still use Web Technology but assume that Electronic Course material will be packaged at NPAC(SU) in a Pentium PC running WindowsNT and Java
  • Possibly Oracle and Digital Video Server Support as well
  • Possibly RealAudio or similar digital audio
This will be updated in batch mode by Syracuse -- China Connection
Students in China will Interact with mentors in China and with NPAC via Internet (web and email)
Project designed by Fox,Leskiw(NPAC), Xiaoming Li(Harbin and Peking visiting NPAC)
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 26 Scope of Certificate in Computational Science

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Graduate Students -- initially 5 guinea pigs
4 Courses -- each 10 1 hour lectures -- offered Spring 1996 over 20 week period
ICPS 700: Introduction to Simulation Track of Computational Science
  • Parallel Architectures, Software, Grand Challenges, Parallel Algorithms (scaled back version of CPS615)
ICPS 701: Parallel Programming Laboratory
  • Use of MPI to do real problems on a Cluster of Workstations/PC's
ICPS710: World Wide Web Technology
  • Scaled back version of CPS616
ICPS711: Web Programming
  • Laboratory companion course to ICPS700. Initially will use Java PERL4 and PERL5.
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 27 Scalable Certificates in Computational Science

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
We suggest that Universities historically are "approved" to give "licenses" i.e. certification that students have a certain level of knowledge
In the emerging Web based Virtual University, the traditional type and length of learening cycles is not obviously appropriate
Further we need to bootstrap WebWisdom and "suck customers in" a little bit at a time!
Thus suggest Scalable Certificates
  • Level 1: One day (6 hours)
  • Level 2: One Week (30 hours)
  • Level 3: One Semester/Quarter Course (120 hours)
  • Level 4: Minor/Certificate -- about 5 courses (600 hours)
  • Level 5: Masters degree -- about 12 courses (1400 hours)
Note these certificates are also portable as can take anywhere at any time!
Traditionally, University courses are 1/3 interaction and 2/3 study/homework
  • i.e. 120 hour course is 40 hours lectruring
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 28 Chinese Youth reports ICPSEP, the "classroom across countries" between NPAC at Syracuse University, USA, and PACT at Harbin Institute of Technology, China

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 29 Xin Wan Bao reports ICPSEP, the "classroom across countries" between NPAC at Syracuse University, USA, and PACT at Harbin Institute of Technology, China

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 30 Some Synergies between Education and Home Based Health Care

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
We are experimenting with home care terminals based on David Warner's "neat thing" sensory front-end, with rehabilitation and disabilities as initial application target.
  • We have rewritten original PC code in Java to allow Web Integration of sensory input and output
This allows Doctors to interact with Patients at the Home with Instruments monitoring their health
But it also allows Disabled access to Web and to Education on the Web as "neat thing" allow us to replace Mouse/Key board input with any measurable human signal
For structured data at least, we have full control over both Patient and User Interface.
  • If not enough "resolution" to move mouse, can replace clickable URL's by scrolled list in Java or JavaScript with clickable NEXT PREVIOUS GO or SKIP-10 URL's in list etc discrete buttons controlled by disabled
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 31 The Neat Thing in Action I

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 32 The Neat Thing in Action III

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 33 The Neat Thing in Action II

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 34 Eyal Sherman -- Using Neattools

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
From work of Ed Lipson and Dave Warner
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 35 Java Applet Version of Neattools

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
From work of Ed Lipson and Dave Warner
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 36 From a PC/Macintosh Presentation to the Web

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Persuasion (quite easy) and PowerPoint(harder till Microsoft Internet Assistant Available) Presentation:
  • Outline (Incomplete Information)
  • Full Images
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 37 RCIHalloween Presentation Foil on WebFoil in WebFoil!!

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Initial webfoil 0.1 release Halloween 1995
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 38 Experiences with WebFoil

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Currently more than 180 "foilsets" with over 7500 foils covering education, research and institutional presentations
  • Sets of "screendumps" are "fake" foilsets!
  • foils not unique as "scripts" generate composite presentations aimed at particular audiences
  • Microsoft Internet Assistant allows us to use Powerpoint easily as well as Persuasion and mix these with Slitex, Screendumps etc. in arbitary presentations
4 courses with material to cover at least a full semester
  • ECS400 -- Undergraduate Web Technologies
  • CPS616 -- Graduate Practical Information Technologies including Web
  • CPS615 -- Graduate Simulation HPCC Technologies
  • CPS713 -- Graduate Case Studies in Computational Science
  • CPS606 -- Information Systems -- Most Material Available
Various other tutorials derived from these foilsets
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 39 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - IV

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
The Web provides a convenient integration environment for "mature" technologies migrating from existing computer environments.
Relational databases are a good example where it is now straightforward in Oracle, DB2, Sybase etc. to provide a Web Interface which can be used for data (mail, curricula material etc.) with Java/JavaScript/Forms based Interfaces
Object databases such as Illustra also interfaced to Web
Several excellent Java to Database packages becoming available
CORBA will have good Web and Java Interfaces
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 40 WebWindows DataBase Activities at NPAC
Oracle (Relational) , Illustra (Object) Databases linked to the Web

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
NewsGroup and "Chat" Messages stored in Database giving searchable record of collaboration or discussion.
Enterprise IntraNets -- Carrier Corporation (started) and Other Fortune 500 companies (under negotiation) for external (catalog) and internal databases
Support of Option Pricing on Demand for financial industry
Images from New York State for Education and Tourism
Text from CD-ROM's and other digital Information sources
Close Caption and Programming Text to Index Video for Digital Wire Service and other media applications
Electronic Mail -- how do I keep track of 50 messages a day?
Digital Books to support Computer Science Education
Search all URL's inside a particular information domain (from NPAC Web Site to particular Course in our virtual University
All Map data (for New York State) and objects therein -- from 3D weather simulations to converted AutoCad specification of your home
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 41 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - V

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
VRML 1.0 widely available and specifies static 3D scenes through which you can navigate. Already provides universal visualization environment and we have examples of use In Geographical Information Systems
  • Note can embed clickable URL's as with ImageMaps which can be used to annotate images to provide interactive educational resources
VRML 2.0 is just released with prototype browsers but still aspects of technology are under intense research/debate.
  • This is designed to support full interactivity (televirtuality) with texture mapped video, avatars etc.
  • VRML 2.0 will require huge computing resources whether used as the virtual car-dealership / interactivity gaming or more academic uses such as collaboration between teachers and students
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 42 Possible Uses of VRML in Education

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
VRML allows user annotated 3D visualizations so that you can explain features of results of simulation in a universal fashion which can be viewed on any machine
  • e.g. click on "cloud" and get informations on humidity, fluid velocity etc. (this could be generated automatically)
  • Experts can add insight as to why things are what they are!
VRML is Very good GIS (Geographical Information System) technology and can be used by NASA/EPA etc for presentation of spatial data with again clickable annotations
VRML is currently and perhaps intrinsically (numbers ascii) inefficient and Java is alternative / augmentation technology
  • We use Java client/server agents to generate VRML on the fly
VRML 2.0 will allow projects like Argonne Labspace to produce collaborative televirtual environments
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 43 Living SchoolBook Collaboration -- ATM linked K-12 Schools

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Main collaboraters are:
Syracuse University School of Education and NPAC
Columbia's Teachers College
NYNEX supplying ATM link NYNET
Rome Laboratory
3 Upstate and 3 Downstate K-12 Schools
We have excellent Content Providers including
  • The Discovery Channel
  • Reuters News Service -- Video News Clips
  • NewsBank -- text CD's
  • Bob Frye -- Emmy Winning Producer of Documentaries
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 44 Living SchoolBook Results/Developments

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
2D Java and 3D VRML FrontEnd for Terrain Renderer for Virtual FieldTrip
  • Uses Illustra database to store terrain and clickable objects
  • Web Interface to Illustra allows teachers or students to add content e.g. local landmarks with associated Web Site
Text Indexed Video Database using Programming or Close Captioning
  • Teachers very interested in Reuters Spanish feed as Current Events in Spanish creates student interest
  • Common database search of text and video databases
Succesful Use of Commercial Collaborative Tools
Developing VRML Front End for Physical Simulations -- Lake Effect Snow
  • Based on CAPS code
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 45 T4:GIS - 3D Terrain Rendering in VRML

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Data is stored in Illustra Database System
  • Terrain shape data - elevation and color data
  • Embedded object data - objects that are on the surface
VRML representation is created in real time when requested
The same data may be visualized in various ways (terrain, objects)
Parameters like resolution, size, altitude magnification, etc. are set by the user
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 46 VRML Terrain Renerer with Herkimer House Web Page

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
From Chris Walczak
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 47 Link between Interactive Journey and classroom multimedia projects

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Living SchoolBook Material for SC95 San Diego Dec 95
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 48 Some (New) Web Technologies in a Nutshell - VI

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Digital Video and Audio. This will enable collaboration and dissemination of fixed assets (audio/video clips) stored in multi-media databases or of information encoded in real-time.
  • RealAudio commercial product uses wavelet compression and delivers AM quality audio over 28.8Kbaud lines. Therefore works on Internet and can combine with images (or Interactive Java animations) for Web Conferencing and Consulting
Note these are typically streaming and not "batch" approachs. Current default Web downloads video to client before playing and this approach cannot scale!
Can use traditional (relational) databases to store metadata and text with which to index video.
Digital video works well over ISDN (128 kbits) but for full screen needs about .5 megabits per second even with wavelets
This will be CNN/Network digital delivery technology for future infinite cable channel world
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 49 Possible Uses of Digital Video in Education

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Clearly digital audio and video supports the type of collaborative environments needed for good teaching
  • this is natural use by consultants in distributed computer centers as envisaged by NSF resolicitation for supercomputer centers
Digital video (in fashion similar to VRML 2.0) can be annotated to provide much more interactive results of scientific simulations
  • This is video equivalent of clickable 3D VRML scenes discussed earlier and is "academic" version of consumer interactive Movies where you can choose paths etc.
Digital Audio and Video is currently less than 5% of web data but eventually it will be dominant (95%) form of digital information and serving will be major Web activity.
Broad distribution requires ISDN-ATM speeds but can deliver from local WebServers as only needs Ethernet or less for each client
  • This is "Education in a box " -- ship multimedia courses on a Windows NT server to remote sites
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 50 CNN Newsource Database, video of President Clinton

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Living SchoolBook Material for SC95 San Diego Dec 95
HTML version of Scripted Foils prepared May 12 1996

Foil 51 Berlin Journey of a City, documentary by Bob Frye

From Web Technology and Applications for Education CRPC Annual Meeting -- May 14-17 1996. *
Full HTML Index
Living SchoolBook Material for SC95 San Diego Dec 95
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