Abstract * Foil Index for this file
See also color IMAGE
Given by Geoffrey C. Fox at APS-AAPT Joint Meeting IBM Watson Research Center on April 12-13 1996. Foils prepared 17 April 1996
Abstract * Foil Index for this file
See also color IMAGE
| This "version" of Education talk is organized around technologies with projects introduced to illustrate technology use |
| The technologies are text-indexed video, Perl, JavaScript, Java, VRML (in current and future 2.X version) and object databases |
| The World Wide Web offers the potential for revolutionary changes in education at all levels from K-12, undergraduate, graduate and continuing (lifelong) levels. |
We describe these technologies in context of four significant activities where we/our collaboraters have used Web Technologies to prepare and deliver education using the web. These projects are the
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Abstract
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| http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/teachingmar96.html |
| Invited Presentation at Joint Spring Meeting of New York State APS and AAPT (Physics and Physics Teachers) |
| "21st Century Computing:Physical Basis to Classroom Applications" |
| April 12-13, 1996 IBM Watson Research Center -- Yorktown Heights |
| Geoffrey Fox |
| NPAC |
| Syracuse University |
| 111 College Place |
| Syracuse NY 13244-4100 |
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| This "version" of Education talk is organized around technologies with projects introduced to illustrate technology use |
| The technologies are text-indexed video, Perl, JavaScript, Java, VRML (in current and future 2.X version) and object databases |
| The World Wide Web offers the potential for revolutionary changes in education at all levels from K-12, undergraduate, graduate and continuing (lifelong) levels. |
We describe these technologies in context of four significant activities where we/our collaboraters have used Web Technologies to prepare and deliver education using the web. These projects are the
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| 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
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| 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! |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| General science for non-science majors (4 cr.) |
| Interdisciplinary Approach |
| Modular Structure |
| Principles and Concepts |
| Active Learning |
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| Lectures (3/week) |
| Demonstrations |
| Recitation / Lab (1/week) |
| Team Projects |
| WEB-Based Learning |
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| Scientific Literacy |
Modules which include Web page(s):
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| An interactive tutorial to the brain and the machines trying to model its functions. Produced by Simon Catterall. |
| From Gianfranco Vidali April 1996 |
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| From Gianfranco Vidali April 1996 |
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| FLAG is an enterprise in which NYNEX Network Systems Company is a major (roughly 40%) investor. |
| Current fiber link from U.K. to Japan (via Africa) is being constructed at an approximate $1.4B cost |
| Natural Strategy is for Web Servers in U.S.A.. to deliver educational material via FLAG to Africa and Far East |
This would set up hierarchically as:
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| Real-Time Compression critical for interactive use of FLAG as lines are costly -- note Internet is free but needs compression as overloaded .... |
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| 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
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| 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) |
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| 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
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ICPS 701: Parallel Programming Laboratory
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ICPS710: World Wide Web Technology
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ICPS711: Web Programming
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| 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
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| 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
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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
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| Browsers have SAME interface on ALL Computers |
| CGI Programs are typically written in PERL but can be essentially ANY UNIX Process and so do simulation, database access, advanced document processing etc. |
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| There are evolving/confusing/overlapping capabilities ... |
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| 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:
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| 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 |
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| From Meryem Ispirli |
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| An example of HotJava applet that makes essential use of Java multithreading. |
| Three different sorting algorithms are visualized on a single HotJava page. |
| Each algorithm can be started independently or they can all run concurrently. |
| Concurrent mode allows for real-time visual comparison of various algorithms and their performance. |
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| Provides geographical interface to spatially referenced information (place names, population, etc) and terrain models for overlaying electromagnetic and weather simulations |
| User can interactively navigate over the terrain, and point and click (or search) to find information (in the form of a web page) for a particular region |
Terrain model utilizes digital terrain data
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| 2D terrain viewer uses only satellite images, has been implemented in Java |
| 3D terrain viewer uses satellite images draped over an elevation grid, has been implemented in VRML |
| Spatially referenced information from a multimedia database is overlaid onto the 2D or 3D image |
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| Originally developed using Tcl/Tk for the user interface and customized Unix client-server networking code. |
| Java enabled us to create a simpler, more portable implementation, available via the Web. |
| User interface on the client is a Java applet. Terrain data and other information is stored on the Web server and accessed via standard URL requests. |
| Multi-threading in Java enables navigation of current section of terrain while downloading images of the neighboring sections. |
| Currently creating Java interface to Illustra database used for 3D VRML terrain viewer, so 2D and 3D versions can access same spatially referenced data. |
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| From Living Schoolbook Project |
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| The Living Schoolbook is a New York State funded Initiative to create K-12 educational applications that exploit leading information technologies |
Living Schoolbook Base Educational Services are:
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Living Schoolbook Leverages Information Technologies
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The Project Team
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Upstate Project Schools
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Downstate (New York City) Project Schools
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| askERIC Educational Database for teachers with consultation |
| The Discovery Channel -- Video Content Provider |
| NewsBank -- Text Content Provider |
| Reuters News Service |
| Syracuse Language Systems -- Learn Foreign Languages on Demand |
| TravelVenture -- Interactive travel information on Demand |
| US Air Force Rome Laboratory -- InfoVision technologies |
| WorldView Corp. : Interactive Client-Server Geographic Information System |
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| http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/npacaddons -- see foil 105 |
| Java provides a convenient way to build flexible graphics interfaces |
| The screendump shows the message passing traffic and status of (36) parallel nodes used in a sorting algorithm |
| In the example, the 36 threads are running the explicit algorithm on the client |
| Alternatively and more generally, the threads are replaying a trace of the program which is or was running on a separate set of nodes |
If one uses Web Servers to control master parallel computation or more generally integrates Web into computing, these Web servers can naturally feed event traces into Java based display
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| From Kemal Ispirli with 36 threads running client-side |
| Colors represent node status and links message-passing |
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| http://www.npac.syr.edu/users/gcf/npacaddons -- see foils 106,7 |
| Many concepts in computer science are very complex and dynamic and both idea as well as implementation are hard to understand |
| In particular, parallel algorithms for areas such as FFT, matrix algebra, sorting, "fast multipole" required complex data movement which is difficult (for me) to visualize from the basic mathematics. |
I suggest using Java as a pedagogical tool to animate such algorithmic data movement
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| One can view this as an example of how Web-based technical reprts can represent and transmit knowledge better than printed papers |
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| From Kemal Ispirli |
| see Java Applet |
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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
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VRML 2.0 is just released with prototype browsers but still aspects of technology are under intense research/debate.
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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
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| 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
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| VRML 2.0 will allow projects like Argonne Labspace to produce collaborative televirtual environments |
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Data is stored in Illustra Database System
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| 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 |
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| From Chris Walczak |
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| Living SchoolBook Material for SC95 San Diego Dec 95 |
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| 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
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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.
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| 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.
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| From work of Ed Lipson and Dave Warner |
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| From work of Ed Lipson and Dave Warner |
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| 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 |
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| Presentation Systems -- Persuasion and PowerPoint -- give material at the right level of abstraction for teaching and highlighting issues. |
| Books and conventional HTML pages are appropriate for in depth study and reference |
So claim information model for teaching (as I do it!) is:
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| All linked to collaborative (Chat to MOO to VRML 2.X) interactive environment |
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| Currently we teach and learn using lectures supported by books (and scruffy equivalents such as xeroxed notes) as well as presentations in form of bulleted itemized summary lists |
| Hyperlinks make "sequential" books very unnatural. |
| Further computers are not very good at flipping sequentially through electronic pages -- I can beat computer flipping paper book! |
Thus one can suggest that (electronic) encyclopedia is a better model so that Encyclopedia Galactica is natural abstraction for the Web
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| This suggests that Web Information should be produced in short hyperlinked modules as in Encyclopedia articles |
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| These Web modules (Encyclopedia Galactica articles) are produced by multiple authors and one can have several different descriptions of a given subject |
Note Presentations are not hyperlinked but they are built around a small unit of information -- the page with just a few items on it.
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Thus electronic presentations can be expected to be important
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| Early WebFoil prototype based on Netscape2 multiframe JavaScript is already operational at NPAC and extends initial HotJava Prototype demonstrated at Supercomputing 95. |
Offers a hierarchical information model where contents in one frame can be scrolled and generate associated information module in main frame
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| User has control of size, color, font etc and can save configurations |
| Can link notes, further information and audio to information page |
| Can be generalized to any hierarchically organized table with indices at each level |
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Persuasion (quite easy) and PowerPoint(harder till now) Presentation:
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| Initial webfoil 0.1 release Halloween 1995 |
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Currently more than 180 "foilsets" with over 7500 foils covering education, research and institutional presentations
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4 courses with material to cover at least a full semester
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| Various other tutorials derived from these foilsets |
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| Provides disciplined navigation and option control (from font size, Image background to RealAudio Carousel) for hierarchical Information World |
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| WebWisdom uses self - documenting web pages (prepared by PERL filters!) where header has JavaScript functions which define: |
| "World" in which document lives |
| "Level" or "Family" in World |
Where associated indices are for lower level information
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| Defines style of document -- whether it is audio,video, parameterized HTML etc. |
| Defines different views (GIF/HTML) |
| Defines URL's of child material for indices (which can be associated notes or further notes) |
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| 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 |
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| Original Form of Data is mapped in batch or real time |
| Natural Storage Format for particular type of Information |
| Optimal Format for network transmission incorporating synchronization as in audio and video streams as well as compression |
| Local Client formatting to (HTML,VRML) needed for standard browser display standards |
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You can use structured databases such as Oracle to store resource data such as Glossaries in an organized fashion with (well-known technology) to generate HTML on the fly
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| Can also store unstructured information as illustrated by Usenet computer and other relevant newsgroups |
| Use the powerful Search engines with domain (i.e. particular courses) specific keywords . These can be attached to commercial (e.,g. altavista) or inhouse Web Search sites so search confined to subset of curricula material |
| Object databases can be very useful for VRML and other data which is naturally of this form such as images and output of simulations |
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| 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:
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| Naturally synergistic with Teacher -- School of Education etc. Interactions |
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| Rome Laboratory Collaborative and Interactive Visualization Jan 31,96 |
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| Rome Laboratory Collaborative and Interactive Visualization Jan 31,96 |
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| Rome Laboratory Collaborative and Interactive Visualization Jan 31,96 |
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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.
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| 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 |
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Clearly digital audio and video supports the type of collaborative environments needed for good teaching
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Digital video (in fashion similar to VRML 2.0) can be annotated to provide much more interactive results of scientific simulations
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| 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
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| Living SchoolBook Material for SC95 San Diego Dec 95 |
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| Searched on Inventions |
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| Living SchoolBook Material for SC95 San Diego Dec 95 |
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