TIF DI4 Grant ReportDownload PDF version Executive SummaryThe University of Texas at Austin has met the objectives outlined in its e-Learning through Enhanced Access to Distance Education Resources (e-LEADER) DI4 project proposal. UT Austin was awarded $759,151 from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) and contributed an additional $700,000 in local matching funds and in-kind resources to install network upgrades and to develop, document, implement, and evaluate a variety of Internet-based media-rich learning materials (classroom lectures, resources, tutorials, training courses, etc.) that are delivered to students at The University of Texas at Austin, other UT System components, and to K-12 students in Texas. Although the grant period began September 2001 and formally ended April 2003, e-learning activity continues. Grant participants included the College of Liberal Arts, College of Pharmacy, General Libraries, Information Technology Services, and Center for Instructional Technologies. The project objectives can be grouped into five categories:
Installation of network upgrades have resulted in improved capacity to support increased e-learning activities, particularly streaming media. Lectures and instructional materials are being delivered via streaming media in Pharmacy, Liberal Arts, Engineering, Law, Communications, and Natural Sciences. A wide range of tools and systems were identified and used for the production and delivery of Web-based, media-rich instructional content. Commercial online training courses were piloted and evaluated. Various techniques, processes and workflows were researched, developed, and documented for digital content production and delivery. A prototype was developed for a campus-wide digital content repository for categorizing, storing, and searching digital images, video, audio, and other media. The model identified as most applicable to UT Austin's e-learning goals uses asynchronous access and the Internet to create an innovative, highly interactive learning experience focused on easy access to content and computer-facilitated communication among students and faculty. The key elements in this model are a standard Web-based template, streaming of the instruction, digitized learning materials, and online communication with other students and the class instructor. To determine costs and feasibility of implementing this model and its elements, grant participants developed and piloted numerous examples of Web-delivered instructional formats:
Examples and results of these various models are presented in more detail in the participant reports. A wide variety of tools and strategies are available to build media-rich online instruction, and are being implemented at UT Austin. The University supports all available streaming architectures to meet the needs of its multiplatform environment. Tools and strategies range from low-cost ($100-$500) desktop solutions—where instructors can record simple lectures on their desktop computers, to dedicated and turnkey systems (up to $25,000) for recording in classrooms. Classroom recording may also require either the transport or installation of recording equipment (expensive cameras, special lighting, audio equipment) and staff to operate the equipment. Extensive postproduction of media content may also be required. Findings indicate that students respond well to interactive, media-rich, anytime and anyplace access to online instructional materials. While studies comparing student performance in traditional and online instructional delivery are still in progress, some evidence from a course in the College of Communication indicates that students perform equally well when lectures are presented solely online. Studies also show that repetition increases learning, and an online format provides a convenient opportunity for students to repeatedly access instruction. Students are increasingly turning to online tutorials, presentations, and instructional materials instead of physically attending short courses on these topics. As instruction shifts from in-person or from another medium (such as television or videotapes) to online streaming, specific training and support must be provided for students unfamiliar to online streaming. Grant Purpose and ObjectivesThe University of Texas at Austin, the flagship higher education institution in the state, faces a complex and growing set of challenges as it continues to provide an outstanding teaching, learning, and research environment for the citizens of Texas. The continued population increase and economic growth in Texas are imperatives for UT Austin to provide leadership in demonstrating effective methods for using technology to increase academic productivity and enhance learning opportunities for students, and to expand the course delivery system beyond that of the traditional classroom. To be successful, those methods must make efficient use of human and capital resources as well as be simple to establish, replicate and maintain. The primary project goal is to achieve an improved distance education format and process that derives from e-learning activities in residential classes. This goal, in accordance with the principles and recommendations spelled out in the Technology Enhanced Learning Committee report, is an essential first step toward developing a more comprehensive collection of e-learning opportunities, both local and at a distance, for current and future students. A second goal is to investigate the delivery of e-learning in an efficient and effective way using streaming media technology, which holds great promise for the delivery of instructional content accessible anytime and anyplace, especially when the distribution can incorporate both high and low bandwidth options. A third goal is to make the content easily accessible to the student and easy to generate for the instructor while minimizing costs. Finally, a fourth goal is to create and maintain a suitable training and reference service to enable students and faculty to use the information technology tools and access the information resources essential to success in harnessing the enormous potential of e-learning and distance education. Objectives identified for this project include:
UT Austin's vision of its future recognizes that e-learning provides the opportunity, through interactivity, visual images and sound, to enable active learning to transcend distance. Media streaming technology has reached a stage where it can be readily incorporated into Web-based courses to improve student cognition through audio/video interactions with the instructor. It can also convey more elements of a classroom learning experience, via instructor videos. For UT Austin to upgrade content development, delivery, and student systems for e-learning, whether local or at a distance, an essential element is the server and telecommunications infrastructure that will be required to support substantially larger volumes of video information. This grant requested funding to upgrade infrastructure so that UT Austin can deliver educational content to students on and off-campus as well as to other interested institutions throughout the UT System and the state of Texas. Additionally, funds for digital video production hardware and software were requested in order to speed video processing and increase both the quality and quantity of video in several pilot courses and programs. FindingsInstallation of network upgrades have resulted in improved capacity to support increased e-learning activities, particularly streaming media. Content caches in remote locations speed the delivery of media-rich content for streaming. A wide range of techniques, tools and turnkey systems were identified and used to produce and deliver streaming content; however, UT Austin's decentralized and cross-platform environment poses challenges in recommending a standard streaming development and delivery system. UT Austin continues to support multiplatform development and delivery. ITS installed the Helix server software from RealNetworks which successfully supports all three of the popular streaming media formats: Real, WindowsMedia and QuickTime. Although there are no significant cost differences in developing content in different formats, licensing costs vary for different server architectures. Costs for Real are tied to number of viewers, while QuickTime and WindowsMedia are free. Apple hardware and software was preferred by the majority of content developers and media producers while the majority of student viewers use PCs. Pharmacy and CIT found that Apple's QuickTime architecture met the needs for low-cost, scalable, and sustainable delivery of streaming media. General Libraries found that SMIL delivered with RealPlayer provides an excellent means to present multimedia instruction as well as comply with Section 508 accessibility standards. Development costs increase with the addition of features that are integrated in the presentation interface—such as video, chat, chapter lists, interactivity, and captioning. We are continuing to investigate the key components and the minimum acceptable quality needed to make online lectures satisfying and effective. Lower-quality visuals may be satisfactory for review purposes but not as effective as a replacement for an in-person lecture experience. Integration of a presenter's video/audio with PowerPoint slides can be achieved through a variety of tools and techniques, from simple desktop lecture recording to more complex large classroom recording. Desktop lecture development tools enable an instructor to easily capture screen activity, record video/audio, and integrate PowerPoint without additional production assistance. These tools, which are primarily PC- and Windows-based, range from low-cost ($100—$500) to more expensive dedicated and turnkey products that enable live webcasting (up to $25,000). Low-cost desktop recording tools are very effective in communicating audio and visuals compared to videotaping the same lecture. Web-based tutorials on visual topics (for example, Macromedia Flash) are enhanced with a dynamic visual presentation either by video or dynamic screen capture using tools like Camtasia. A comparatively expensive turnkey system such as HorizonLive ($25,000) that enables live webcasting, polling, and chat is limited because it cannot reliably deliver streaming video and interactive features to a cross-platform audience. Classroom recording requires the installation or transport of more costly equipment, and staffing for recording and postproduction. While automated tracking camera systems are very effective and eliminate the need for a camera operator, they are expensive (up to $25,000), and additional equipment and staffing are still required to integrate the video with other visuals such as PowerPoint slides into the on-line presentation. The majority of UT Austin's classrooms are not equipped with cameras, specialized lighting and audio equipment to record presentations. Multimedia teaching consoles are being installed in over 300 classrooms, but there is no mechanism for capturing, integrating, and streaming the presentations shown via these consoles to an online audience. Without dedicated recording and encoding hardware and software systems, staffing costs are compounded for live webcasting, archiving, and delivery in different bandwidths. New turnkey streaming products automatically integrate and synchronize video, audio, and visuals into a built-in user interface, and encode and deliver in low and high bandwidths for live and on-demand webcasting. These systems, which cost around $20,000, will reduce the need for extensive postproduction, and should be investigated as an option for delivering classroom lectures. Meeting Section 508 accessibility standards (integrating video captioning and text descriptions of visual materials) adds considerable costs to development, estimated at up to $350/hour of video. The development of media-rich interactive tutorials that promote active
learning are time-consuming; however, students are increasingly turning
to online tutorials, presentations, and instructional materials. Logs
show greater use of text and static image-based online tutorials on technical
subjects than of instructor-led short courses. The effectiveness of Internet
search tools like Google allow e-learning resources to be consumed by
a much broader audience, which has implications for the preparation of
these materials. ResourcesDocumentation, white papers, and Websites produced during the grant term:
CreditsSteering committee members and grant participants from the College of Liberal Arts, College of Pharmacy, General Libraries, Information Technology Services, and Center for Instructional Technologies.
|
