Full HTML for

Basic foilset Tango for Distance Education and Training Today

Given by Geoffrey C. Fox at Rice University Tango Tutorial on October 18 1999. Foils prepared October 19 1999
Outside Index Summary of Material

We describe the technology components that are needed to support distance education and training
  • We describe integration of asynchronous and synchronous/interactive learning
  • We describe role of databases, Java Applets and different authoring packages
  • We describe Role of Tango as delivery vehicle of a model of Web-based Education and Training
This model will succeed because it will provide more cost effective and higher quality learning environments
Greater use of emerging standards such as XML will improve situation

Table of Contents for full HTML of Tango for Distance Education and Training Today

 Denote Foils where Image Critical
Denote Foils where Image has important information
Denote Foils where HTML is sufficient
1 Tango Interactive Today for Education and Training
2 Abstract of Tango and Training Technology
3 Motivation and Structure of Web-based Education and Training
4 Challenge and Opportunity in Education and Training
5 Why use Distance Education and Training?
6 Traditional Model of Instruction
7 Better Model of Instruction
8 Courses at Jackson State
9 Architecture of Tango Distance Education
10 What is Web-based Collaboration?
11 Sample 1999 Java Academy Certificate
12 The Ingredients of Web Based Education
13 Role of Collaborative Objects in Education
14 Shared Form Illustrated by Shared Access to NCSA Biology Workbench showing how general server objects can be shared from web interface
15 Universal Shared Object Strategy
16 Let's Use Tango
17 So what do we have now--TangoInteractive
18 The current Capabilities of Tango -I
19 Capabilities of Tango -II
20 The current Capabilities of Tango -III
21 Shared Simulations -- Fluid Flow and Planetary Motion
22 JavaScript Shared Browser with Dynamic HTML -- "Pure" Client Event
23 The current Capabilities of Tango -IV
24 Architecture and Features of Tango
25 Versions of Tango
26 TANGO Interactive version 1.4
27 TANGO Interactive version 1.4
28 TangoInteractive System Architecture
29 TANGO Architecture: Components
30 Architecture of Tango
31 TANGO Architecture: Components
32 TANGO Architecture: Components
33 Implementation Details
34 TANGO Architecture: Components
35 Events (Messages) and Data
36 TANGO Architecture: Media Streams
37 Application Protocols
38 Session Management
39 Session Management
40 Session Management Functions
41 Application Developers View
42 What About Tango 2
43 Tango 1.4 Compared to Tango 2
44 Applications of Tango
45 Applications of Web-based Collaboration
46 Electronic Communities
47 Crisis Management
48 Play Games
49 PPT Slide
50 PPT Slide
51 Real Time Synchronous Collaborative Visualization with SV2
52 SV2 Collaborative Visualization Architecture
53 PPT Slide
54 Basic Strategy for Using Tango
55 Learning and Teaching the Curricula I
56 Learning and Teaching the Curricula II
57 What does Tango Interactive Provide?
58 So what do you do I?
59 So what do you do II?
60 Design and Architecture of Curricula Material
61 4 Approaches to Authoring of Back End Resource I
62 4 Approaches to Authoring of Back End Resource II
63 What's wrong with Java Clients?
64 What Else do you need for Web-Based Education?
65 The Virtual University I
66 The Virtual University II
67 Managing the Curricula I
68 Managing the Curricula II
69 LecCorder Lecture Recorder
70 Current NPAC Grading Database used to register Syracuse and Online Courses
71 Tango Status / Futures ?
72 New Enterprise Models for Universities?
73 Where are we in Distance Education?

Outside Index Summary of Material

HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 1 Tango Interactive Today for Education and Training

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Rice Tango Training
Houston October 18 1999
Geoffrey Fox
Syracuse University
NPAC
111 College Place Syracuse NY 13244 4100
3154432163
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 2 Abstract of Tango and Training Technology

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
We describe the technology components that are needed to support distance education and training
  • We describe integration of asynchronous and synchronous/interactive learning
  • We describe role of databases, Java Applets and different authoring packages
  • We describe Role of Tango as delivery vehicle of a model of Web-based Education and Training
This model will succeed because it will provide more cost effective and higher quality learning environments
Greater use of emerging standards such as XML will improve situation
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 3 Motivation and Structure of Web-based Education and Training

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 4 Challenge and Opportunity in Education and Training

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Pervasive Communication Infrastructure (The Internet) and powerful new software technologies and concepts
  • Distributed Multimedia information on the Web
  • Web-linked Databases, Distributed Objects
  • Collaborative Systems
Can enable education and training with
  • Better curricula
  • New collaborative learning models
  • Different "business models" for universities and schools
Can also change/enable businesses, research, electronic societies
Need to implement so that
  • Can take advantage of the evolving web
  • Can be used by all independent of capabilities
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 5 Why use Distance Education and Training?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
New and rapidly changing Academic Curriculum suggest the use of distance education as it will allow a few experts to deliver instruction to more students and this addresses both
  • The shortage of trained faculty
  • cost of developing new curriculum QUICKLY requires many students (say around 5-10 times traditional class) to amortize cost
Distance Education is technically sound based on web curricula-- both synchronously and asynchronously -- today with very robust clear implementations available over next 2 years
Both delivery mechanism and identification of knowledge nuggets (such as Internetics or computational science) that are smaller than a traditional degree suggests different approaches to certification
  • Courses are given, graded etc. by multiple organizations -- University integrate degrees?
Similar arguments for distance training with relative importance of synchronous and asynchronous learning differing by customer group
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 6 Traditional Model of Instruction

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Professors
Students
Common Shared Books and Such Resources
Done separately for each class at each university
Often
Low
Quality
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 7 Better Model of Instruction

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Professor at AVU
(AnyTown Virtual University)
with team of authoring specialists
Outside
Students
(dominant clientele)
Common Shared Books Web based Lecture Material
and Similar Resources
Institutions focussing on particular disciplines, teach a given class
to Students from Universities which provide beds and mentors
Possible local Students
INTERNET
Classes are
given by
AVU
to students
around
the state
(world)
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 8 Courses at Jackson State

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Taught using Tango since fall 97 over Internet and defense high performance network DREN twice a week from Syracuse
  • Course material based on Syracuse Senior Undergraduate class CPS406(Web Technologies) and graduate classes CPS615/616/640 (Base Computational science/Internetics)
  • Curricula, Homework, Grading, Facilities done by Syracuse
  • Students get JSU NOT Syracuse Credit
Jackson State major HBC University with many computer science graduates
Do not compete with base courses but offer addon courses with "leading edge" material (Web Technology, modern scientific computing) which give JSU (under)graduates skills that are important in their career
  • Job fair employers liked Java Programming!
Needs guaranteed 30 (audio) to 100 (video) kilobits per second bandwidth
  • Use a proxy server or mirror site
  • Actually get around one megabit/sec Syracuse to Jackson State
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 9 Architecture of Tango Distance Education

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
NPAC Web Server
JSU Web Server
Java Tango Server
.......
Share URL's
Audio Video
Conferencing Chat Rooms
White Boards etc.
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 Sockets
HTTP
Java Control Clients
All Curricula placed on the Web
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 10 What is Web-based Collaboration?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Collaboration means sharing objects
Web-based Collaboration implies use of Web to share distributed objects accessible through the Web
  • Shared Web Pages; Resources accessed through Web Servers or Brokers; Client-side applications with programmatic interfaces
Specify Page
Receive Identical Page
Web Site
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 11 Sample 1999 Java Academy Certificate

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 12 The Ingredients of Web Based Education

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Assess and install the rapidly changing hardware and software technology infrastructure
Design of (possibly new as exploiting new possibilities) curricula
Authoring of material in curricula
Managing the material and students response to it including quizzes, grades and administration
Delivery of the material in a mix of self-paced (asynchronous), traditional (synchronous) or collaborative (interactive)
Good answers to all these components are pretty clear and these answers will match the evolution of web over next few years
  • The answers are not perfect but they will improve and they are already good enough and can be delivered at a distance
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 13 Role of Collaborative Objects in Education

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Learning is an example of an activity which can be thought of in terms of objects (digital audio streams when you talk, books, homework, science fair exhibits) worked on alone or together -- either between students or students and teacher
  • digital "togetherness" is supported by collaboration technology
Collaboration can be synchronous as when individuals talk to each other
  • Objects or object properties are shared at same time
Or asynchronous when sharing is done at different times
I post a web page and you look at it later is a basic asynchronous sharing model while writing on a blackboard is hallowed synchronous model in teaching
All objects can be thought of as web pages as these are rendering of a server side object
  • e.g. web page form elements specify data base access or CGI Script
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 14 Shared Form Illustrated by Shared Access to NCSA Biology Workbench showing how general server objects can be shared from web interface

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Shared Multiple List
Shared Buttons
Shared Text field
Shared Checkbox
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 15 Universal Shared Object Strategy

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Assume teachers, students, engineers, shoppers, salespersons, families teach, learn, collaborate, buy, sell, socialize via electronic versions of traditional human interactions combined with shared objects expressed in XML and rendered as web pages
  • Most sharing is asynchronous and one usually wishes to share synchronously same material that one accesses asynchronously
  • objects can be (electronic) text books, aircraft designs and simulations, expensive jewelry or photos of grandchildren
Only shared event model (used in Tango) of sharing (collaboration) is capable of necessary efficiency and customization to each user
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 16 Let's Use Tango

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 17 So what do we have now--TangoInteractive

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
http://www.npac.syr.edu/tango
Largely Java system enabling collaboration between general client side objects
  • If client side object is a Server proxy, then this ruse enables sharing of server side objects
  • Has API for Java applet/application, C++, JavaScript
API Enables sharing of events in applications
  • This is just a fancy way of saying it forwards messages
API Enables applications to find out about participants
Currently ONLY deployed for Netscape version 4.05 and above as uses LiveConnect to connect JavaScript to Java
  • Internet Explorer version not fully debugged
Tango 2.0 is about as good as you can do with current web
  • Tango 1.4 less flashy but production "quality"
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 18 The current Capabilities of Tango -I

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Tango supports a synchronous shared event model of collaboration
Tango supports (more than) enough (over 40) applications
Core Collaboration Capabilities
  • Audio-Video Conferencing multicast between room participants
  • Text chat rooms with various tradeoffs between "coolness", ease of use etc.
  • Shared Browser (Synchronized view of Web Pages)
  • Shared Web Search (becomes shared database query)
  • Slide Show
  • White Board
  • Shared Audio and Video Players (Java Applets and link to video on demand database)
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 19 Capabilities of Tango -II

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Databases Linkage
  • JDBC Link to WebWisdom Database
  • Lotus Notes Link to Asynchronous Collaboration (Abandoned)
Office and Authoring Tools
  • PowerPoint via shared display or shared Java viewer
  • Microsoft Excel using NetMeeting
  • Microsoft Word
  • shared visual C++ etc.
  • Combined Whiteboard / Java object based PowerPoint like authoring system
  • Shared emacs editor -- shared programming
Disappointing Use
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 20 The current Capabilities of Tango -III

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
General Virtual University Applications
  • Current WebWisdom hierarchical database system navigating through 35,000 foils and 750 foilsets
  • "Raise Hands" Applet to help teacher-student synchronous interaction
Special Virtual University Applications
  • Shared Java applets to teach physics (spring, planets, vector cross product)
  • Shared visible human illustrates biology teaching
  • Shared Java Applets used to teach Java!
  • Shared SmartDesk system aimed at activities useful in special education with built in assessment
  • Untested Quiz and Glossary Support
Not Used
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 21 Shared Simulations -- Fluid Flow and Planetary Motion

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 22 JavaScript Shared Browser with Dynamic HTML -- "Pure" Client Event

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Shared Pointer added to Internet Assistant PowerPoint on the Web
Illustrates sharing of W3C Object Model internal to documents
DHTML "Heartbeat" recording shared events in last 60 seconds on application specific "bar" which is locked above all windows -- addresses window clutter
More Powerful than Java Shared Browser but currently less reliable
Partly as software newer and
Partly as DHTML Browser support fragile
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 23 The current Capabilities of Tango -IV

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Have some fun with Multi-player games
  • VRML Chess
  • JavaScript Card Games and Internet Snap
  • Java Othello and Rubic's Cube
  • snakes and ladders and could develop a bunch of similar "grid" games
"Other" Applications
  • TANGOsim command and control system with shared tools (e.g. mapping, weather) to use in scripted crisis management
  • There is a very good shared mapper which is a Java whiteboard supporting map backends and general shared drawing
  • Shared Visualization available for test
Obsolete
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 24 Architecture and Features of Tango

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 25 Versions of Tango

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Currently most use is of Tango 1.4 which gets s series of minor releases so that now you download Tango 1.4.2.1
  • This is evolution of first generally useable version of Tango which was released July98
Available for Experimentation is Tango 2 which has important but evolutionary changes
  • Tango2 will become production version over next 4 months
  • There will a set of features (such as support of Internet Explorer) slated for Tango 2.1 which could be released in January 2000
We have a version MicroTango (really an application change -- not a system change) which is aimed at supporting Palmtop devices
We are designing/prototyping a radically new version "Tango5" built around XML Shared Portals with early prototype January 2000
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 26 TANGO Interactive version 1.4

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
TANGO 1.4 requires browser plug-in
Compatible with Netscape Communicator 4.06+ and 4.5, 4.61
  • not compatible with earlier Netscape versions (3.0+) and not compatible with MS Internet Explorer
  • TANGO 1 uses LiveConnect and plug-in architecture. Both these technologies are available for Internet Explorer, but MS implementation of LiveConnect is not fully compatible. IE version of TI exists but is currently not available for public use
  • supported platforms: Windows'95/98/NT/2000, IRIX, Solaris, Linux
The package has been tested for ~15 months
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 27 TANGO Interactive version 1.4

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Supported browsers: all Netscape 4 versions up to Communicator 4.61 (not v. 4.6 as serious bugs in browser!)
  • supports Netscape 4 security model
    • digitally signed plug-in Java classes
    • Communicator version explicitly requires access to privileged operations
      • user's consent necessary for TANGO to run
      • consent needed only once per session
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 28 TangoInteractive System Architecture

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
N: Netscape Browser
LD: Local Daemon
CA: Control Application
AP: Applet
LA: Local Application
CS: Tango Java Server
DB: Collaboration Database (XML now)
HTTP: Web Server / Object Broker
Client
Client
Collaboration Server
Object/Content Server
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 29 TANGO Architecture: Components

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Local Daemon's main tasks:
  • maintaining two-way communication between user applications, applets and central server
  • launching local applications
  • passing messages between applications running on the same node
  • providing certain system level functionality not normally available to Java applets, such as file access or printing
The daemon is implemented as a plug-in to Web browsers.
  • The daemon is the only operating system dependent core part of TANGO.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 30 Architecture of Tango

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Java Tango
Server
Netscape Browser
Tango
Daemon
Shared Applet 1
Shared Applet 2
Shared
Java/C++/..
Application
Socket Connections
Client Side Bus
Netscape's
LiveConnect
Typical Client
Other
Collaborating
Clients
Shared
JavaScript/ Web Page
Tango CA
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 31 TANGO Architecture: Components

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Central Server is the main communication element.
  • Local daemons communicate with the central server
  • Server maintains the system state data
  • Server routes messages between applications participating in each session
  • All application protocols are opaque to the server
  • Currently, TANGO users are restricted to only one collaboratory server at any given time
    • Server switch somewhat clumsy
TANGO server is extremely stable and maintenance-free
  • No administrative interface
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 32 TANGO Architecture: Components

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Java applets
  • User applications written in Java, downloaded from an HTTP server, and executed in browser environment
    • Communication between Java applets and central server is also maintained by the local daemons. Java applets communicate with local daemon by calling its method functions
Local Applications:
  • User applications which run as standalone programs are called local applications. Local application may be written in any programming language
    • Communicate with the local daemon using sockets. The daemon is responsible for starting these applications and routing messages to and from applications
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 33 Implementation Details

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Daemon provides a mechanism for TANGO components such as Java applets, central server, JavaScript scripts etc. to talk to each other.
TANGO daemon has been implemented as a plug-in.
Using LiveConnect mechanisms, each applet residing in the same page with the plug-in may obtain its handle.
Message passing between plug-in and an applet is achieved by calling appropriate methods of each other
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 34 TANGO Architecture: Components

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Session Manager provides TANGO GUI
  • Provides uniform application session and floor control for all TANGO applications
    • Launches applications locally or remotely, creates and connects to existing sessions, exits applications, logs into the system, etc.
    • Routes messages between applications on the same node
    • Monitors integrity of the distributed system
    • User interface to the control application auto-adjusts to the operating system
  • SM communicates with the system via LD
    • The communication between control application and local daemon is different than in the case of standard Java applets since control application can also generate system messages
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 35 Events (Messages) and Data

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Since TANGO uses central server architecture, there are system scalability concerns.
System makes careful distinction between event and data distribution pathways
  • events are always distributed via collaboratory server
  • data may be distributed via collaboratory server for thin data streams
  • voluminous data are either distributed directly between application instances or delivered from HTTP or other servers
  • peer-to-peer application data exchange may use multicast if necessary
  • certain TANGO applications are therefore implemented as Web browsers for specialized data types (e.g., GIS Open Inventor Web browser)
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 36 TANGO Architecture: Media Streams

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
For scaleability reasons, the real time multimedia streams are not sent via central server.
  • Instead, we use a distributed architecture
  • The architecture supports multicast.
  • Session control remains with the TANGO session manager.
  • TANGO VTC supports stream recording, storage, and retrieval
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 37 Application Protocols

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
A blueprint for a truly successful collaboratory system does not exist. Hence:
  • Need an extensible system with very few limitations.
  • System must not define application specific protocols, application programming language, or limit in whatever way functionality of collaboratory applications
The essence of each collaboratory function must be defined by application and by application only
TANGO does not define any application protocols
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 38 Session Management

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
A session is a group of application instances currently working together in the collaborative mode.
  • All (and only) applications belonging to the same session exchange information and may share behavior.
  • How particular application operates in collaborative mode depends on this application characteristics.
In all sessions there is one master user.
  • Master of the session has special privileges of controlling access of other users to this session and/or controlling the application behavior. The privileges depend on the application type.
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 39 Session Management

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Master status is dynamically transferable. Floor control allows for both master-master and master-slave relationship
  • Interpretation of this (e.g. ignore it) left to application-- Tango "just" sets a flag
TANGO does not restrict the number of concurrent sessions. There may be multiple independent sessions of applications of the same type.
Messages from one application compatible with application of another type will be distributed transparently.
NOTE: current model confuses floor control and session ownership. It will be replaced by two distinct mechanisms in version 2.1
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 40 Session Management Functions

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Currently supported operations:
  • Local open
  • Remote open (opens an instance on remote machine)
  • Global and limited remote open (open an instance on a group of machines)
  • Session join
  • Local close/leave
  • Remote close, including global remote close
  • Acquire and grant session master status
SM implements "intelligent interface"
SM supports different "privacy" models on the global and "per application" basis
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 41 Application Developers View

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
For each supported mode
  • C++
  • Java Applet or Application
  • JavaScript
You can communicate between linked clients to preserve state
  • "master" sends state changes to nonmasters
You can find out list of participants
  • Who is master etc.
  • You are notified when participants change
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 42 What About Tango 2

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Significant but evolutionary improvement to Tango 1.4
Too a lot longer than expected and still in beta stage
  • production use is Tango 1.4
Capability TI 1.4 TI 2.0
Core tools (BV, SB, WBD, Chat, etc.) + +
Shared dynamic HTML support + +
Shared Document Object Model + +
Shared Java applets + +
Shared Java in pages - +
Shared JavaBeans - +
SWING-based interface - +
User authentication - +
Personal Identity Module - +
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 43 Tango 1.4 Compared to Tango 2

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Capability TI 1.4 TI 2.0
Server licensing - +
File repositories - T2.1
Fully-integrated e-mail support - +
Listserv Support - T2.1
"Awareness" service (like AIM) - +
Site-configurable/customizable interface + +
Internet Explorer support - T2.1
"Out-of-browser" implementation - T2.1
Shared visualization - T2.1
Shared compute engine + +
Shared web-linked database + +
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 44 Applications of Tango

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 45 Applications of Web-based Collaboration

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Multi Player Games: Use Chat Rooms and digital VTC to establish context
  • Share Java, JavaScript, VRML etc. games
  • Tango has Card Games, Othello, Chess, Snakes and Ladders
Crisis Management: Again use general tools (including whiteboard) and add shared maps and multimedia situation reports
Command and Control: Military, Test and Evaluation -- any real time control of complex system
  • support distributed experts who can be on call remotely and shared object is visualization of test results
Collaborative Computing and Engineering: Here specialized shared objects are CAD, simulation and planning tools
UpScale Web Commerce Sites with people available to help shoppers and lecture on demand
Socializing .....
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 46 Electronic Communities

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Electronic Communities
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 47 Crisis Management

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 48 Play Games

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
PLAY GAMES
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 49 PPT Slide

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Prepare Data
disloc proxy
Post Process
Generate disloc input
disloc proxy
disloc2simplex proxy
simplex proxy
compare
disloc code written in C
disloc2simplex script written in perl
simplex code written in C
Front End:
Java Applet.
CORBA client
Middle Tier:
distributed objects
implemented in Java.
CORBA servers
Back End:
computing
resources
Iterate
Collaborative Earthquake Portal
Results put in Shared Browser
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 50 PPT Slide

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Collaborative Post Earthquake Analysis
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 51 Real Time Synchronous Collaborative Visualization with SV2

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
SV2-Server : Receiving and multi-casting the data, it contains two computation engines: geometry and filter engines.Simulator provides real time data to SV2-server.
SV2-Client : It consists two parts, a client Manager and a Data Viewer. Data Viewer is implemented using JDK1.2 and Java3D API
Large Data sets and Control messages are separated (through SV2 Server and Tango respectively)
Substantial computing is needed on SV2-Server . This computing time is critical to the response time of the whole system. Critical Server portions written in C++. Rest of System Java
Usually simulator is written in Fortran/C/C++ instead of Java.In SV2, we provide C API for simulator to pass Data to SV2-Server
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 52 SV2 Collaborative Visualization Architecture

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Data Viewer 1
Data Viewer 2
Client
Manager
Data Viewer 1
Data Viewer 2
Client
Manager
Tango
SV2 Server
Simulator
Control message
Data
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 53 PPT Slide

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
SV2 Sample Screen/Window Dumps
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 54 Basic Strategy for Using Tango

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 55 Learning and Teaching the Curricula I

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
So the students need to learn the material and they may need some sort of help from a teacher or mentor
In self paced or asynchronous learning, student studies material in his or her own time and essence of this is a web site which may of course be generated from a back-end web-linked database
  • optimal for highly motivated mature students such as those in continuing education
  • electronic version of using a library
In synchronous learning, teacher selects material from website and delivers it in electronic virtual class rooms
  • Homework is set from same website which remains a base asynchronous resource
  • Natural when teachers insight delivers motivation and clarification of key material to student
  • electronic version of traditional classes
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 56 Learning and Teaching the Curricula II

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
In collaborative learning, teachers, assistants, students and the web resource interact in an electronic collaboration system
  • Seems particularly valuable in K-12 arena
  • Also natural model for collaborative research
Note systems like Lotus Notes are "just web-linked object brokers" from this point of view (and again should be avoided as not built around modern object models)
All approaches use basic asynchronous tools such as electronic mail, bulletin boards and searchable repositories
Can record synchronous sessions for later asynchronous replay
One need not chose any one approach as can support all of them with a (preferably database back ended) web site linked to a suite of collaboration tools
Note just as we can link asynchronous--synchronous--collaborative, we can also link education and training
  • Note modular educational objects naturally support smaller units of achievement certificates
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 57 What does Tango Interactive Provide?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Overall Management of a lecture viewed as part of a learning environment built around a Web Resource
Audio/Video Conferencing
Chat Rooms and electronic mail for synchronous and asynchronous messages
Shared Web Pages which can come from a database
Whiteboard for communicating visual material
Shared Java applets which can be embedded in web pages to allow interactive lesson components
API to interface specialized resources -- Planning Tools, GIS Systems, CAD, Visualization .. -- not necessary for training?
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 58 So what do you do I?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Author Curriculum using NO specialized systems or systems like WebCT that produce HTML or preferably XML
  • Use pure (D)HTML, PowerPoint with Java applets for necessary interactive components
  • Or put in database, (XML) file and map into above
  • For Java, interface to Tango API for sharing or automate with TangoBean
  • A Single Scrolled HTML Page is all you need
  • Internet Export of PowerPoint is all you need .....
Add pointers and other such "WebWisdom" helpful DHTML capabilities (we can provide a filter)
HTML Pages can be screenfuls (best?) or scrolled
Put material on Web Server or CDROM; intersperse with other asynchronous resources
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 59 So what do you do II?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Give your students URL of system
If desired use registration database
Set up necessary infrastructure with collection of individual machines and/or class rooms (PC's are best)
  • teacher should/could have multiple machines to provide less cluttered display
In a class room, establish proxy server and central machine for audio/video conferencing
  • Note Tango is useful just in a classroom as each student gets a better quality display than many central displays
Test system for
  • Correct installation of multimedia
  • Quality of Service
Decide on applications e.g. multiple chat rooms (teacher--students, "chitchat", "support") and their control
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 60 Design and Architecture of Curricula Material

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
So the architecture is that of a set of web accessible distributed objects which are designed to be as modular as possible
  • Natural size of basic "educational object" is about a screenfull
Initial design will be traditional -- include
  • Bunch of "foils" (electronic presentation)
  • Bunch of HTML pages (electronic book)
  • Bunch of multimedia dazzle (today's educational CDROM's)
  • The merger of above -- dynamic HTML and Java
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 61 4 Approaches to Authoring of Back End Resource I

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
In order of increasing sophistication; cost; preparation time and presumably also in increasing learning value
Note "Low-end" can be best solution in a case where curricula material is changing rapidly
  • Note Open University in England (best known distance education organization uses high-end asynchronous material and for this reason cannot quickly switch to Java for introductory CS course)
"Low-end" typified by simple HTML and PowerPoint. Of course hand written notes and postscript are even less sophisticated but these are getting less important.
"Enhanced Low-end" typified by audio or video over web pages. Not clear how editing is possible/desirable
  • This can be viewed as a pragmatic way of capturing details from the busy lecturer who does not have the time to carefully prepare a more sophisticated resource.
  • NPAC LecCorder technology institutionalizes this
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 62 4 Approaches to Authoring of Back End Resource II

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
"Medium End" such as WebCT, Campus product from Blackboard LLC (mainly administrative, modest authoring), or Cornell Virtual Workshop where one provides knowledge at different levels of detail, glossaries, quizzes and dynamic instructional nuggets.
"Traditional High End" such as the classic Multimedia CDROM ( or its web equivalent) prepared by sophisticated authoring tools such as Macromedia Director and with possibly professionally produced videos.
These will move towards Web Standards using Web Video, Java plus Dynamic HTML and W3C based XML and DOM specification
Note clear to me if authoring of educational material will differ from that of "ordinary documents"
  • cf building education portals on top of enterprise portals
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 63 What's wrong with Java Clients?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
There is no argument about Java the programming language -- there are some issues about Java the user interface builder
First there are the battles between Sun Netscape and Microsoft which makes Java on the client less robust than Java on the server
However Java allows to build totally general users interfaces and there appear to be no rules and nothing equivalent to style sheets in HTML/XML.
Thus it does not seem practical to build cross disability and cross rendering device interfaces for arbitrary Java applet interfaces
On the other JavaScript and dynamic HTML can do many things that you might have thought one needed Java for
General Java visual interfaces need languages such as UML to describe interface object model?
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 64 What Else do you need for Web-Based Education?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 65 The Virtual University I

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Motivated either by decreased cost or increased quality of learning environment
Will succeed due to market pressures (it will offer the best product)
Is technologically possible today and can only get better
  • Main problem is pervasive Quality of Service for digital audio and video
In structured settings like briefings, lectures etc., support is easier as at fixed times and digital video of secondary importance
Brainstorming and general "collaboration" technically harder
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 66 The Virtual University II

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
"Centers of Excellence" ("Hermits Cave Virtual University") is natural entity to produce and deliver classes
  • Today 1 faculty delivers 2 courses a semester -- each to say 25 students
  • Instead 3 faculty collaborate on 1 course and deliver to some 200 students -- perhaps in multiple sessions (200 students required to fund quality curricula and 200 students requires distance education except in a few classes)
University acts as an integrator putting together a set of classes where it may only teach some 20% but acts as a mentor to all
Important issues as to certification and "natural unit of instruction" (smaller than typical degree)
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 67 Managing the Curricula I

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
So as we have stored all our material in a database, managing it is equivalent to building an administrative support system for the database
  • Administrative system is built in usual way as "business logic Javabean middleware" running on a server and accessed from some web client
Web export from database should support Educom's IMS standard for metadata to allow convenient webwide searches of repositories
One needs special modules that accommodate
  • PAPI or Personal and Performance Information
  • Submission of homework of diverse nature
  • Laboratories including both programming and science labs
  • Producing composite lectures from collections of base educational objects (re-use)
  • More research needed on assessment tools
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 68 Managing the Curricula II

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
One needs database technology for
  • Storing raw curricula material with facilities to re-use, edit, produce summaries, re-order etc. WebWisdomDB
  • Archiving multimedia learning sessions LecCorder
  • Managing the students PAPI: grades, homework and personal data -- NPAC Grading Database
  • As discussed under Portals, Blackboard is a strong commercial system
One needs web-linked seamless computing to support programming assignments
  • Using older NPAC VPL written in JavaScript to allow web access to computer cluster for HPF and MPI (DoD Gateway activity should produce better technology)
These capabilities are part of effort in Portals for Education and Computing .....
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 69 LecCorder Lecture Recorder

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Database must archive lessons with LINKED curricula material and multimedia delivery
LecCorder is integrated hardware & software system and will record live trainings or digitize taped events & publish on web quickly and easily as "foils over audio/video"
Minimal human intervention
Java viewer
Good start but Incomplete -- need
  • video server back-end for random access & search capabilities
  • Converter for Real Audio/Video format
  • Integration with WebWisdomDB courseware database system
  • Support for Pointer events
Note MPEG, H263, Real Video versions.....
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 70 Current NPAC Grading Database used to register Syracuse and Online Courses

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Buy Blackboard if you can afford it!
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 71 Tango Status / Futures ?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Tango 2 is about as good as you can do with current browsers
When W3C DOM fully supported and XML is well established, we can evolve Tango and Shared Browser to provide richer interactive shared Web Pages
Universal Access for different devices (Fully capable and impaired users) from PalmTops to PC's
Greater use of XML Web components to customize sharing of Web Page components and specify dynamically and flexibly sharing policy
Integration of asynchronous and Synchronous messaging Services (Tango drivers Pager)
Integration of Tango and Database backends to provide "Portals to Education"
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 72 New Enterprise Models for Universities?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Distance Education is technically sound -- both synchronously and asynchronously -- today with very robust clear implementations available over next 2 years
Separate teaching mentoring and dormitory role of University
Teaching and grading naturally performed by centers of excellence which need at least an order of magnitude more customers than a single faculty in order to be able to justify investment in course preparation and maintenance
Continuing Education of growing importance and natural area to attack first -- corporate training is serious competition here and commercial deliverers have advantage?
Not obvious that will save large amounts of money as students will need more not less mentoring in today's information-overrich world -- quality of educational experience will become more uniform and better
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared October 19 1999

Foil 73 Where are we in Distance Education?

From Tango for Distance Education and Training Today Rice University Tango Tutorial -- October 18 1999. *
Full HTML Index
We are meant to be short of employees trained in many important areas -- in particular computer science
Syracuse has a few good course but Courses are incomplete and hard to keep up to date.....
Nationally there is a complete set of excellent courses but most universities cannot offer quality complete program
Technology for distance education is proven in concept and improving in robustness and functionality
Networks are increasing in bandwidth ...
This will lead to much better learning environments and total happiness for students ........
There is one minor problem! Existing University Infrastructure and K-12 Establishments will oppose this
They will accept my courses if given as Syracuse University but not if done through www.webwisdom.org
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Page produced by wwwfoil on Tue Oct 19 1999