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Basic foilset ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval

Given by Marek Podgorny, David Bernholdt, Geoffrey C. Fox at ASC Year 2 Review Columbus on July 2 98. Foils prepared July 4 98
Outside Index Summary of Material

Design, implementation, and deployment of automated system for capture, storage, indexing and retrieval of classes, lectures, and seminars
  • System components:
    • capture station with format conversion capability
    • automated publishing system for quick Web deployment
    • automatic indexing system for two-way video/foils synchronization
    • searchable audio/video and presentation repository
    • a set of playback tools for asynchronous streaming delivery of foils over video
    • integration with synchronous distance learning system

Table of Contents for full HTML of ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval

 Denote Foils where Image Critical
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1 ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage, and Retrieval
2 Project Goal
3 WebWisdom Architecture
4 Typical usage scenario
5 Prepare class
6 Convert class
7 Record class
8 Publish class
9 Retrieve class
10 Status Review: Playback tools
11 Status Review: Slide playback tools
12 Status Review: Video conversion tools
13 Status Review: Web Publisher
14 Requirements for lecturers
15 Encoding station
16 Database support for courseware
17 Database support for courseware
18 Lecture recording and asynchronous collaboration

Outside Index Summary of Material

HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 1 ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage, and Retrieval

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Marek Podgorny, David E. Bernholdt, and Geoffrey C.Fox
NPAC, Syracuse University
ASC MSRC PET Annual Review
Columbus, July 2, 1998
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 2 Project Goal

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Design, implementation, and deployment of automated system for capture, storage, indexing and retrieval of classes, lectures, and seminars
  • System components:
    • capture station with format conversion capability
    • automated publishing system for quick Web deployment
    • automatic indexing system for two-way video/foils synchronization
    • searchable audio/video and presentation repository
    • a set of playback tools for asynchronous streaming delivery of foils over video
    • integration with synchronous distance learning system
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 3 WebWisdom Architecture

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 4 Typical usage scenario

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
A class module is prepared using a standard presentation authoring tool, such as PowerPoint
Module is converted to a set of URL-addressable nuggets (optional storage in database)
The class is delivered and recorded (audio and video)
The class (presentation+audio/video) is published to the Web
The class is asynchronously retrieved via Web browser or re-used in synchronous distance learning system
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 5 Prepare class

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Class is prepared using standard, popular authoring packages
  • Supported formats:
    • Microsoft's PowerPoint
    • HTML editors
    • Slitex
    • Series of images
    • Combinations thereof
  • Class material may include add-ons (examples, movies, animations, interactive applets)
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 6 Convert class

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Convert the original format to the URL-addressable set of "educational nuggets"
  • Internet Assistant and RTF for PowerPoint
  • WebWisdom conversion tools for all other formats
Place the converted material on an HTTP server or local disk drive
  • this temporary repository will be used to deliver the class
Optionally, upload the converted class to the relational database backend
  • WebWisdom NT database support for courseware will be discussed later
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 7 Record class

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
The class is being delivered and recorded
  • Format: high-quality audio and video for master copy - MPEG1, 30 fps, full-screen video and CD quality audio
  • Real-time encoding supported by dedicated hardware
  • Optionally, one may use lower quality RealVideo
Automatic indexing and encoding control
  • The class is being delivered from the converted format using the tools provided with the Lecture Recorder
  • Video encoding and indexing is automatically controlled by the Lecture Recorder
  • No human action needed
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 8 Publish class

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
After class is completed, audio/video conversion process starts automatically
  • Internet audio/video formats:
    • standards-compliant GSM/ADPCM/H.263, playback using Java players
    • proprietary RealAudio/Video (optional)
  • One-click export of the entire package, including textual material, audio and video, and all necessary software, to a selected HTTP server
    • Automatic creation of HTML pages from course information data
    • The pages can be further customized using standard authoring tools
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 9 Retrieve class

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Asynchronous retrieval via Web browser
Slides-over-video mode fully supported
  • streaming, high-quality Internet video with synchronized slide presentation
    • presentations may include complex edu objects such as animations or interactive applets!
  • all playback tools Java only, no software installation needed, platform-independent
  • audio/video server is optional, not required
Published class is compatible and can be re-used with the synchronous distance learning system
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 10 Status Review: Playback tools

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Java audio/video and audio players
  • H.263 video (~8 kbps) and ADPCM audio (~32 kbps)
    • GSM audio coming (~13 kbps)
  • streaming players using either http protocol or local data files as data source
    • video server support will be available in the next phase
  • available in both stand-alone and collaborative versions (same set of tools for synchronous and asynchronous delivery)
  • support for time/event indexes
  • Status: available
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 11 Status Review: Slide playback tools

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Current support for the following tools:
  • interactive Java whiteboard
    • displays arbitrary images in multiple formats, including GIF, JPEG, and highly-compressed wavelets, as well as standard text
    • supports PowerPoint slides
    • supports drawings created in collaborative synchronous sessions
  • Net-Scene PointPlus Java PowerPoint player
    • compressed, "streaming" PowerPoint presentations.
  • Arbitrary HTML pages displayed via standard browser
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 12 Status Review: Video conversion tools

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
MPEG1 to H.263/ADPCM converter
  • Off-line audio/video format re-encoder for Win 95/NT
  • Supports multiple qualities of H.263 video
    • adjustable frame size and frame rate
    • full set of advanced encoding options
  • supports random-access streams
    • optional I-frames and frame/file offset look-up tables
  • compatible with output format of the MPEG1 real-time encoder
  • Status: available
  • 8 hour MPI course by Chuck Koebel converted, (manually) indexed, and ready for web publication.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 13 Status Review: Web Publisher

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Purpose: one stop interface for automated Web publishing of "video over foils" lectures
  • assemblies all elements of the lecture from local disks
  • transfers all contents to the selected HTTP server
  • automatically creates HTTP server directory structures and all needed HTML files
  • works with all HTTP servers
  • "one button click" operation
  • Status: 3rd version available
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 14 Requirements for lecturers

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Presentation in electronic form turned in few hours (a day?) before the class
  • critical for automatic recording, as automatic indexing will not work without electronic presentation
  • MSRC staff will convert the presentation to one of the supported formats
Lecturers MUST use one of the tools provided with the package to deliver their presentations
  • suggest a PC in the delivery room with pre-installed SW
  • lecturer laptops can be accommodated as presentation/ recording tools downloadable
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 15 Encoding station

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Hardware MPEG1 encoder provided by Optibase
  • real time encoder of industrial quality
  • provides archival quality digital video stream
API allows remote control of the encoding process
  • encoding daemon socket-connected to the presentation tool on the presentation workstation
Automatic creation of indexing information
Status: slated deployable mid-August `98
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 16 Database support for courseware

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Current authoring tools do not or poorly support courseware reuse
  • Problem: in 20 minutes, build, publish, and print handouts of a new module consisting of parts of five other presentations
  • Problem: Find all slides related to a particular topic in presentations delivered during last 6 months
  • Problem: Allow for search of the educational nuggets according to the standard metadata attributes
HTTP-based repositories non-portable and non-scalable beyond a handful of presentations; contents management nightmare
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 17 Database support for courseware

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
NPAC WebWisdom database support
  • conversion tools for transformation of legacy formats into self-describing edu objects
  • relational database loading tools with metadata creation support
  • presentation management tools to create and edit new presentations
  • templates for automatic creation of Web presentation layer from database contents via XML
Lectures recorded using NPAC Lecture Recorder can be immediately loaded in the database.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 4 98

Foil 18 Lecture recording and asynchronous collaboration

From ASC Info-Comm: Courseware Recording, Storage and Retrieval ASC Year 2 Review Columbus -- July 2 98. *
Full HTML Index
Lecture recording is a special case of the general session recording capability in the virtual and desktop collaborative environments
NPAC TANGO Interactive session recording capability performs session recording on the client side (as opposed to the central server recording)
Session record re-assembly is done in the central repository with the clients uploading end-user recording information at session termination
Hence, Lecture Recorder is compatible with the grand vision of sync/async integration for collaboratory/distance learning systems implemented in NPAC
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