We expect that our initial focus will be integration of the CNN Newsource and Newsroom video with ERIC. The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a federally funded national information system providing educators access to educational-related resources. The NYNET InfoMall video on demand technologies and demonstration expands the ERIC educational database to support video. We will initially use CNN Newsource, an approximately four hour daily summary of the national and international news, now available by cable and video tape format. This daily video summary is supplemented by a set of classroom discussion notes for use by the teachers. This text supplement is available over the Internet and is archived by ERIC. InfoVision will expand the educational application of CNN Newsource video by integrating it with the classroom supplement and storing both in a database. Teachers will be able to access this database over the network , and author educational modules of video and text material for classroom use. A second video information source is the Discovery Channel, which agrees in principle to provide 30 minute documentaries on educational topics for use in an ERIC educational video library.
A wide range of video source material is potentially available for use in the classroom. Important sources include CNN where we have potential agreement, other possible sources we are exploring are the Discovery Channel, Newton's Apple, and National Geographic. In addition, we propose to include video course modules prepared in conjunction with Newhouse and Maxwell, and HPCC (InfoSchool) courses offered through InfoMall in the mid-Hudson region. With our educational partners we will explore other sources of video such as Bettman film archives, the civil war series on PBS, classroom video (biology, physics, chemistry) lab experiments. We believe that addition of the relevant modules that can augment existing services will make VOD attractive to teachers and school administrators. Finally, we will consider making the outstanding Syracuse University audio archives, which exists in digital audio source, available via the media server as another related source of information.
Project implementation has two distinct phases. In Phase I, we will implement a Video-On-Demand server by integrating existing technologies. We will demonstrate an interactive video on demand database accessible from NYNET, using initial databases from education (InfoSchool/University courses, CNN, askERIC) and InfoMall activities. Demonstration will be based on the infrastructure already gathered in NPAC. In Phase II, we will enhance server capabilities by implementation of a number of features supporting both more interactive user requirements (video browsing, context querying, database navigation) and better system support (protocols and scheduling mechanisms, video multiplexing). The task will be completed by demonstration of the enhanced technology.