APPLAUD

Activity Proforma - List of all reports
[ Home ] [ Up ]

What was done:
Mass Lecture, then question and answer session.
This followed seminars and preparatory reading.
To be published in ALT-J, 1998

Context:
3rd Year Primary Education course
Discussion about what makes a good school

How used:
Medium to deliver 'an expert' from a distance to a large audience.

Aims of the activity:
Students should experience videoconferencing.
Students should hear the opinions/views of an expert in the field.
Students should have the opportunity to participate and be involved in discussion/debate.
Students should consider what makes a good school.
Stidents should read the work of 'an expert'.
Students should reflect on and evaluate their experiences.

Outcomes:
Positive student experiences.
Involvement and interaction with the speaker.
Good evidence of teamwork between students.

Lessons learnt:
Technology does not matter.
Personlity counts.
Students impressed by the medium.
Needs clear scripting.

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
None

Links with other activities:
Related to TALISMAN experience. Where I was the 'expert'.

Issues to follow up:
Improve interaction with speaker.
Involve other colleagues more.

What was done:
I gave a presentation lecture, then there was a question and answer session.
This was followed by animated discussion between 5 sites.
Linked to 5 sites through the Scottish TALISMAN project.
Tested for sound and vision beforehand.

Context:
I was asked as the 'expert' to discuss the 'Scripting' of videoconferencing to large audiences, following a presentation I gave at the ALT-C Conference in WOlverhampton, 1997.
The people in the Scottish Universities were attending training sessions on the use of the TALISMAN network and videoconferencing in general.

How used:
Medium to deliver 'an expert' from a distance to a large multi-point audience on a WAN.

Aims of the activity:
Those present should experience videoconferencing.
Those present should hear the opinions/views of an expert in the field.
Those present should have the opportunity to participate and be involved in discussion/debate.
Those present should reflect on and evaluate their experiences.
Those involved should test/trial the videoconferencing/WAN interface.

Outcomes:
Very positive experiences.
Involvement and interaction with the speaker was reasonable.
Enjoyed giving my first videoconferenced lecture.
Responded well to questions.
Technology worked really well.
Material for a paper.

Lessons learnt:
Technology does not matter.
Content, content and structure are important.
Not easy to answer questions when you can't see the person who is asking them.

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
None

Links with other activities:
Related to Mass Conferencing.

Issues to follow up:
Improve interaction with speaker.
Write paper for publication.

What was done:
A 5-way multipoint videoconference between partners

a) with a split-screen
b) with a sound activated screen

We dealt with:-
The state of the Art
Business meeting
Finance
AOB

Context:
Experimented with videoconferencing links in the form of a bridge link.
A meeting of partner institutes.

How used:
1. Used to provide information about on-going work
2. To discuss future projects/ plans in terms of membership
3. to deal with financial matters
4. to see whether the sun was shining in Helsinki

Used as a meeting and reporting scenario. Some discussion took place within a reasonably 'structured' framework.

Aims of the activity:
1. testing / proving the technology
2. linking with partners
3. dealing with operational issues
4. planning some future activities

Outcomes:
A very exciting meeting. Good use of technology.
Efficient and effective 'business' part.
Well structured session.
Useful in re-making contact.
Decisions reached.
Plans for the future further developed.

Lessons learnt:
Should check out all partners in terms of for example, position of camera/microphone.
Should remember to keep a better record of what took place (video very useful).
Should plan for ways that students can access videoconferencing equipment.
Should be better organised in terms of reporting.
Should wear brighter clothes (???)
Should organise a neater background i.e. with Hope logo.

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
http://www.livhope.ac.uk/livhope/ebs/calvin/multi/multi.htm

Links with other activities:
Videoconferences
Use of the Web

Issues to follow up:
Other links and videoconferences
Planning for next year
Group B with Glasgow

What was done:
A WWW-based course delivered to 150 students

Introduced to the WWW
Research-based
Case Study
Produced an evaluation of a WWW site
Evaluated the course

Context:
Part of a first year 'practica' course.
Normally occupies 48 hours contact time (4 X 12 hours)
Course produced via the WWW as 4 X 4 hours.
A saving of 32 hours
Course evaluated, data collected, paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Institute of British Geographers in January 1998.
Results disseminated in Liverpool Hope March 1998.
A academic paper written for publication February 1998.

How used:
1. Used to provide Open and Distance Learning to a previously taught course
2. Different types of pedagogical strategies used
3. Student assessments based on own 'enquiry' on the WWW
4. Skills elements delivered by tutors
5. Optional student support provided, though no other formal contact
Used as a meeting and reporting scenario. Some discussion took place within a reasonably 'structured' framework.

Aims of the activity:
1. Net skills development of students
2. set in an academic content/framework
3. reduce tutor-contact time
4. provide support for students who require it
5. innovative / research-based product/opportunity

Outcomes:
Very successful overall.
Most students coped well, enjoyed it and produced quality outcomes in the form of assignments.
Formal feedback very positive.
Informal feedback excellent.
A few 'bugs' need changing and developing.
WWW worked very well.

Lessons learnt:

Identified the need for 'dialogue' in WWW design
Identified the importance of student support
Recognised some important lessons about 'virtual' courses
Will use it again

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
http://www.livhope.ac.uk/livhope/ebs/ebswww/www/staff/karld.htm

Links with other activities:
Publication - 'A Geographer's guide to the Internet'

Issues to follow up:
Other WWW courses

What was done:
* technical discussion about the various VC facilities
available to the partners
* project-focused issues discussed in order to get
a working timetable for the draft final reports
* checking the progress made in different subgroups of Applaud

Context:
* part of the Applaud multimedia conferencing-based activities

How used:
* continuous presence (30 minutes)
* sound-activated videoconferencing (90 minutes)
* document cameras, micros, Internet access etc. tested

Aims of the activity:
* to further consolidate the consortium's internal exchange of ideas, views and comments
* to test the technical platform accessible

Outcomes:
* a renewed timetable for the next two months
* much experience gained from the actual hands-on approach, enriched by a profound minds-on approach with regard to the content areas of the project

Lessons learnt:
* a lot of time needed in advance preparations
* much prior planning topic-wise
* some technical faults and handicaps made obvious through the testing period

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
http://www.helsinki.fi/~tella/applaudhkiworkplan.html

Links with other activities:
 

Issues to follow up:
* work to be done in Subgroups A, B and C
* a couple of invoices to settle between the partners and the coordinating institute
* further bipoint VC sessions to be planned

What was done:
* pedagogically oriented review of crucial issues connected to using VC as a pedagogical/didactic tool

Context:
* part of the Applaud multimedia conferencing-based activities

How used:
* a lecture and demonstrations by a visiting specialist in VC

Aims of the activity:
* to give (foreign) language teachers a many-sided overview to the possibilities of VC in the teaching/learning process
* to discuss a host of issues connected to the technical aspects of different VC systems

Outcomes:
* an enriched "experience"base of VC (the course will continue in two weeks' time)

Lessons learnt:
* careful advance planning is very fruitful
* listening to an expert coming from another type of higher education institute opens up new horizons

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
 

Links with other activities:
 

Issues to follow up:
* the latter part of the course on March 20, 1998

What was done:
This was a videoconference between a class of 7/8 year old children and the Science Museum in London.
The children 'met' Michael Faraday (an actor playing the part of).
They saw him do an experiment, then they asked him questions about his inventions his life and even the clothes he was wearing.

Context:
The videoconference was part of Science Week, a national series of events.

How used:
Used to 'ask an expert'. As a special event.

Aims of the activity:
To use communications technology to involve local children and a local primary school in their first videoconference.
To establish links with the Science Museum.
To experiment with videoconferencing with small children.
To test/trial the Hope on the Waterfront videoconferencing suite.
Experiment with a 'roving microphone'.

Outcomes:
Problems initially as the video camera which was to be used was stolen.
Started 25 minutes late.
A few early technical problems.
Children very keen in the main.
Hard to get questions organised.
Some children not involved (especially those of Asian origin).

Lessons learnt:
Better planning at the start.
Clear script for presenters, reminding them to speak slowly and clearly.
Children more active - i.e. given things to do by the 'expert'.
Look for greater levels of interactivity.
Getting children to stay where they were after asking their question. i.e. to listen to the answer and to respond.

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
http://www.livhope.ac.uk/livhope/ebs/calvin/faraday.htm

Links with other activities:
 

Issues to follow up:
Further developments with the Science Museum - opportunities for June 1998

What was done:
A project meeting in form of a five-point videoconference between Glasgow, Grenoble, Helsinki, Liverpool, and Reykjavik first with a split-screen, then with a sound-activated screen.

Context:
The project emphasis on multimedia and videoconferencing in Year2 resulting in a meeting of the project partners.

How used:
To discuss the draft final report, to update each other about the activities being carried out in Subgroups A, B; and C, finances and further project activities.

Aims of the activity:
To test the videoconferencing equipment and its use as means of project management.

Outcomes:
A project meeting covering most points of the agenda (the agenda and the minutes of the meeting sent to all partners of the project).

Lessons learnt:
Multipoint videoconferencing might be a good media for EU project management.
We need training in videoconferencing to use it more professionally in EU contacts.
It is important that the project partners have meetings via videoconferencing (or audioconferencing) between the project face-to-face meetings.
It is most crucial to the participant that the he/she can address someone when speaking, e. g., "the video image of the listener is far more important to the speaker than is the image of the speaker to the listener", as Mane (1996, 407) puts it. (Mane, A. 1996. Group Space: The Role of Video in multipoint Videoconferencing and Its Implications for Design. In Jonassen, D. (ed.) 1996. Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology. New York: Macmillan Library Reference.)
Helsinki needs to continue building the videoconferencing room (sound, camera positions, background colours).
Now that Helsinki has a videoconferencing room the staff needs training in videoconferencing, especially what concerns visuality.
We need to pay more attention to getting dressed for a videoconference.

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
 

Links with other activities:
All the project activities.

Issues to follow up:
The minutes of the meeting sent to all partner institute on March the 5th. The participants continue to discuss common reports via videoconferencing in April. Audioconfeencing will be tested during the April session with the rest of the partners.

What was done:
A bi-point videoconference between Helsinki and Grenoble
Experimenting the new set of videoconferencing equipment of the Media Education Centre

Context:
Continuing discussions of the fivepoint videoconference (March 4th, 1998).

How used:
The link was used as a meeting to discuss future activities of Subgroup A (Learning a Language in Europe).

Aims of the activity:
Testing the videoconfencing equipment.
Deciding about the Subgroup A activities schedule for the spring.

Outcomes:
A plan of the activities:
1 We will not organize the Proto virtual week, because we find it extremely difficult to motivate our students to participate in any extra activity while in their school placement.

2 Marja will continue experimenting with the Proto in her subject didactic seminar as well as in the Helsinki Videoconferencing and Visuality course. The discussions in the Proto will be in Finnish.

3 Each institute will submit their subgroup A reports by April the 20th as to give each member of the subgroup time to comment on the reports.

4 Grenoble and Helsinki will have two bi-point links:
*a VC session on teaching literature on April the 29th at 3 French time, 4 Finnish time (the date and time to be confirmed by Andree by March the 20th)
*a VC session on the students’ research papers on May the 7th at 1 French time, 2 Finnish time. Four papers from each institute will be presented. The abstracts of the Helsinki papers will be in the Proto, the Grenoble abstracts will be sent to Helsinki via email.
*the agendas of the sessions will be agreed on in advance via email.

5 Grenoble will be glad to get a VC call from the other members of the subgroup.

Lessons learnt:
The new videoconference equipment is easy to use and suits well for bipoint links.
It is important that the partners have meetings via videoconferencing (or audioconferencing) between the project face-to-face meetings.

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
 

Links with other activities:
The project emphasis on multimedia and videoconferencing in Year2.

Issues to follow up:
The minutes of the meeting.
More links and videoconferncing according to the agreed plan.

What was done:
1) Checking the institutional budgets
2) Informing each other of the work being done
3) Discussing the Reykjavik Agenda

Context:
Applaud Project, Year 2,
Specific context: use of video- and audio-
conferencing

How used:
In Helsinki, at once technical testing and didactic upgrading

Aims of the activity:
i) testing recently installed equipoment
ii) updating the situation projectwise

Outcomes:
i) deeper understanding of both human- and technology-specific aspects of videoconferencing
ii) realising how much remains to be done!

Lessons learnt:
i) XtoX is still in its infancy, robust though it may turn out to be by and by.
ii) people do not seem to fully grasp the importance of being present during the whole session

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
 

Links with other activities:
 

Issues to follow up:
i) each partner send an email about their reports and other work being work so that Hki can compile the working dossiers for R.
ii) some angry calls to Xenex about their equipment!

What was done:
This was a conference workshop to introduce the latest World Wide Web developments to teachers of Geography. The materials used were installed on the Home Page and delegates accessed the information from here.

Teachers evaluated the Web sites and the session ended with a general discussion of the value of ´virtual fieldtrips´on the Web.

Context:
A conference workshop, a one-off event, drop-in session.

How used:
The Web was used as a means to deliver a conference workshop. This enabled ´remote access´to the presenter´s home pages.

Teachers accessed Web sites previously identified by the presenter, under the theme ´virtual fieldtrips´.

Teachers evaluated the Web sites.

Finally general discussion of the pages accessed and their usefulness.

Aims of the activity:
To introduce teachers to the Web.

To develop the concept of the ´virtual fieldtrip´.

To examine the range of ´virtual fieldtrips available on the Web.

´To discuss with teachers possible uses of the virtual fieldtrip scenario.

Outcomes:
1. technology worked beautifully, despite relying on external agents (i.e. another university location´.
2. Web pages are an ideal way of delivering a conference workshop.
3. virtual fieldtrips ar common on the Web, but that there are many different types.
4. Some are not very useful.
5. Others are extremely interesting.
6. Virtual fieldtrips would be an ideal theme for research and development.
7. List of likes and dislikes about ´virtual fieldtrips

Lessons learnt:
1. Teachers now getting used to the Web (i.e. less interest than the year before)
2. Great need for ´innovative ways of using the Web´publication
3. the Web can be incredibly effective at times

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
http://www.livhope.ac.uk/livhope/ebs/EBSWWW/WWW/STAFF/Karld.htm#ga
http://www.livhope.ac.uk/livhope/ebs/EBSWWW/WWW/workshop/gawork.htm

Links with other activities:
Linked to the publication of a book by the Geographical Association
´Geographers Guide to the Internet
http://www.geography.org.uk

Issues to follow up:
Develop own Web site on Virtual Fieldtrip to the French Alps

What was done:
This was a conference lecture entitled
New Technology:Defying Geography

Context:
A conference lecture, for teachers, inspectors and av-dvisors on the ways new technology are changing our concept of Geography and Geography in the classroom.

How used:
A conference presentation was concluded by a live videoconferencing link from Leeds University, to Liverpool Museum.

The videoconference was used to demonstrate the power of new technology and it´s potential in the classroom.

The videoconference was carried out using ISDN6 at both ends. A small clip of video was played to the audience to illustrate the Jason Project.

An interactive question and answer session followed, which went on 10 minutes longer than should have been allowed!!

Aims of the activity:
To introduce teachers to the use of videoconferencing.

To develop the notion of how technology is overcoming any barriers that distance might in the past have placed.

To recognise that the technology is here, now and is readily available.

Outcomes:
1. technology worked beautifully, despite relying on external agents (i.e. another university location´.
2. videoconferencing can be done live, provided that you can get the support.
3. there are fantastic projects taking place which are using videoconferencing
4. invited to talk to inspectors/advisors about videoconferencing

Lessons learnt:
1. Technology is a wonderful thing when it works well

2. Essential need for good support

3. Have a backup ready - in case of failure

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
http://www.livhope.ac.uk/livhope/ebs/EBSWWW/WWW/STAFF/Karld.htm#ga
http://www.livhope.ac.uk/livhope/ebs/EBSWWW/WWW/workshop/galecture.htm
http://www.jason.org/front.html
http://www.nmgm.org.uk/liv_mus.htm

Links with other activities:
Linked to the use of the Web in the delivery of a lecture to a large audience.

Issues to follow up:
Get involved next year in the Jason Project with Liverpool Museum.

What was done:
Rewriting the programs so the articles are saved as seperate files.
Articles are now stored in permanent files; can be indexed by search-engines.

Context:
Changes requested at Reykjavik.

How used:
 

Aims of the activity:
 

Outcomes:
 

Lessons learnt:
 

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
http://www.fim.uni-linz.ac.at/APPLAUD/proforma.htm

Links with other activities:
 

Issues to follow up:
Full text search

What was done:
* Holding a course entirely over the Internet

Context:
* One of the courses under the APPLAUD-project.
* Continuing a series of courses at the FIM

How used:
* Discussion between groups using Newgroups
* Management using E-Mail and Newsgroups
* General information on the WWW
* Students present their results on the WWW

Aims of the activity:
Topic:
* Finding criteria for assessing homepages

Management:
* How to stimulate discussion
* Trying newsgroups instead of mailinglists
* Mixed groups between institutions
* Group-work instead of separate work

Outcomes:
* Criteria for assessing homepages (see Webpages; German only)
* Rich experience on virtual courses and mixed groups
* Presentation at Reykjavik (also on the Web)

Lessons learnt:
* Timeplan is critical: El. communication needs long time
* Forming of groups is difficult and needs support
* Milestones are important
* Motivation is key issue (Continuous guidance necessary)

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
http://applaud.fim2.uni-linz.ac.at/Internet-Seminar/
http://www.fim.uni-linz.ac.at/APPLAUD/Presentation/index.htm

Links with other activities:
* Follow up course: CBT-Seminar
* Some possible solutions are already included
* Close cooperation with PaedAk in Linz

Issues to follow up:
* Complete CBT-Seminar
* Continue series of courses
* Further stimulation for discussions needed

What was done:
* Same way of teaching as in the Internet-Course
* Different content for the students:
Finding criterie for assessing CBT-courses

Context:
* Criteria for books were available
* General ISO-criteria for software-assessment

How used:
Everything was done via the Internet:
* Distribution of courses
* Working together by the students from different countries
* Presentation of results

Aims of the activity:
* Same as in the Internet-course
* Including the ideas from the first course for improvement

Outcomes:
* Criteria for assessing CBT-courses
* More experience on distributed groups of students

Lessons learnt:
* If you think it needs time, it takes at least twice that much with el. communication
* Very different teaching culture in other countries

WWW-Links concerning the activity:
http://applaud.fim2.uni-linz.ac.at/CBT-seminar/

Links with other activities:
* Internet-Course
* Implementation of ideas presented at Reykjavik

Issues to follow up:
Continue series of courses next semester

[Back to FIM-Homepage] [Back to APPLAUD page]

sonntag@fim.uni-linz.ac.at

Last change: 5.1.98 by MVS