Tools for e-Teachers (a lever for setting up) a university wide streaming service rudi.knoops@avnet.kuleuven.be

AVNet K.U.Leuven Providing MM services to K.U.Leuven video- and multimediaproduction videoconferencing support consultancy AV integration in auditoria research & training http://www.avnet.kuleuven.be

AVNet K.U.Leuven Providing MM services to K.U.Leuven video- and multimediaproduction videoconferencing support consultancy AV integration in auditoria research & training http://www.avnet.kuleuven.be AVNet KULeuven helps teachers in the implementation of new learning technologies The development of interactive multimedia learning materials To this end we have a three-tier model of support for teachers

advice and consultancy provide teachers with professional facilities 3-tier model of support advice and consultancy provide teachers with professional facilities develop the materials for them AVNet KULeuven helps teachers in the implementation of new learning technologies The development of interactive multimedia learning materials To this end we have a three-tier model of support for teachers At the first level, we stimulate and help teachers or students in their own efforts to produce audiovisual and multimedia or other e-learning projects. Here we focus on simple and cheap solutions, affordable for everyone. (DIY at home) On the second level, we offer teachers or students the possibility to work themselves (for free) with professional tools and infrastructure at AVNet. (DIY using our facilities) 3.The highest level is reserved for the more complex and advanced productions and projects, which are made by AVNet staff, a support which is not completely for free. (We do it for you) As mentioned above, we can not take it for granted that teachers, even the most didactically skilled ones, have enough knowledge and experience to cope easily with the tools and support offered. It must be clear that especially on the first and second level appropriate training is of utmost importance to bridge the gap. Based on its own expertise, AVNet therefore also delivers a multitude of training possibilities, for all its customers (teachers, teaching assistants, educational innovation team members, staff members, students), and for other partners, e.g. in the framework of international collaboration projects or development co-operation.

Multimedia - What is the actual need? adhoc question(s) usually some common elements - assets on (different) servers - synchronisation and/or integration of assets - reusability of assets (metadata) The denominator being

Multimedia - Solutions standards-based! - using SMIL - using XML parsing in a client-side application - other ?

SMIL {Synchronised Multimedia Integration Language} Content Form Synchronisation Interaction (QuickTime, Real, Java players)

SMIL example http://www.kuleuven.be/ilt/40jaar/ (password protected) more information (in Dutch) on: http://avnet.kuleuven.be/toledo/index2.php?id=36

SMIL DIY (for some teachers) Tools! No TOC

XML & Flash using Flash as player and xml-parser http://www.arts.kuleuven.be/lerenlezen/traject.html (password protected)

XML & Flash using Flash as player and xml-parser http://www.arts.kuleuven.be/lerenlezen/traject.html (password protected) template.swf + videolist.xml (can easily be adapted)

XML & QuickTime using QuickTime as player and data-parser xml-like videolist (generated using php) possible assets; - rtsp video (.mov, .mp4) - http media: video, audio, images, text, ... Example: videojukebox.mov

XML & QuickTime (cont.) the importance of services! and tools! upload and compress video (on-line) http://www.avnet.kuleuven.be/upload

XML & QuickTime (cont.) reuse video from database (on-line) http://www.avnet.kuleuven.be/videojukebox XML-file is automatically generated Metadata part not yet implemented teachers have to upload 2 files! future MPEG-4 developments ?

QuickTime & ‘other’ using QuickTime as player and ‘generator’ no xml-like videolist necessary urls of possible assets are generated internally based on a parameter provided to the template.mov example: _t4.mov http://www.kuleuven-kortrijk.be/linguatic

Lessons learned The Teachers’ needs: tools training simplicity (hide the xml, use just 1 file) empowerment

Lessons learned The Educational Technologist: the work we do at level 3 of our support model, we try to carry out so that it can be reused at levels 1 & 2 by the teachers The succes of setting up a streaming server largely depends on the succes of the tools supplied/offered

The Future - To Do’s Metadata: imperative at compression request (IEEE LOM based Search engine + extra functionalities Closer Integration in the e-learning platform On-line fragment selection Annotation and comments

But also … Experiments with Flash comm. Server Scorm Scalable MPEG-4 & other MPEG-4 evolutions Out of the box hardware solutions