Towards a new look at streaming media

R. Robert Gajewski

Warsaw University of Technology

Faculty of Civil Engineering

Institute of Building Engineering

Department of Fundamentals of CE

Division of Information Technologies

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To be continued…

R.Robert Gajewski, How to change the unchanging? Restructuring Polish universities for the XXI century, TelE-learning, The challenge for the Third Millennium, IFIP, 2002

R.Robert Gajewski, e-Learning in Polish universities of technology: challenges, problems and own experiences, 8th IFIP World Conference on Computers in Education, WCCE 2005

R.Robert Gajewski, e-Learning in Polish Universities: Between Mission and Commerce, 5th IFIP Conference I3E , in: e-Learning: Experiences, Cases, Projects, 2005.

Towards a new look at streaming media

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Confucius

Confucius in 450 B.C. said: “tell me and I will forget, show me and I

may remember, involve me and I will understand.”

According to many researchers individuals remember more information and for longer when they are more involved in learning process.

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Dale Cone of Learning [1945]

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Treichler [1967]

People generally remember: 10% of what they read, 20% of what they see, 50% of what they see and hear, 70% of what they say and write and 90% of what they say as they perform a task

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Modified cone of learning

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Bloom’s taxonomy [1956]

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Revised Bloom’s taxonomy

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Three levels of multimedia [1]

High level multimedia require access to high speed Internet.

Moreover there are often special software requirements in order to run different components.

Finally in many cases computers should be setup in a specific way for such multimedia.

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Three levels of multimedia [2]

Mid level multimedia are moderately interactive.

Video, animations and slide shows provide learners with visual description of conceptually different tasks.

They are less expensive but their development in some cases requires time and expertise.

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Three levels of multimedia [3]

Finally, low level multimedia are definitely passive but still provide learners with visual information which facilitates learning.

They are definitely less expensive to produce.

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Formats…

There are different file formats suitable for delivery of multimedia.

There are many pros and cons for each format.

The choice is not only the matter of personal preferences.

Much more important are ease of use, required bandwidth, quality and, last but not least, costs.

SWF Flash … HTML5

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Downloading

Downloading a file means saving it on a computer - such a file can be then opened and viewed (HTTP delivery)

This has some advantages like quick access to the chosen part of a file but disadvantages are bigger.

The whole file should be downloaded before opening it which can cause problems in the case of long presentations.

In order to give an access to such file it is enough to provide appropriate hyperlink.

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Streaming

Streaming media works differently – the end user can start watching the file as soon as it begins downloading.

The obvious advantage is that no additional waiting is required.

Streaming media can also broadcast live events – this is called webcast or netcast.

Such streaming should be delivered by specialized streaming server which is the biggest disadvantage.

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Progressive downloading

Progressive downloading is a hybrid method in which clip is downloaded from simple HTTP server but begins playing as soon as a portion of the file has been received.

Such approach is only a simulation of true streaming but has majority of its advantages.

SWF, FLV and MP3 files are excellent examples of progressive downloading.

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Broad-casting [Wikipedia]

Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio or visual mass communications medium, but usually one using electromagnetic radiation (radio waves).

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2002 motivation - screencastings

The type of content which people are willing to have online is in majority of cases application or software instruction

More and more online learning is related to information technology and also to engineering applications.

Nearly all organizations need to provide training to software users and the Web is one of the most effective tools to do this.

What we are now desperately seeking for are software animations.

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Definition [Wikipedia]

A screencast is a digital recording of computer screen output, also known as a video screen capture, often containing audio narration.

The term screencast compares with the related term screenshot; whereas screenshot is a picture of a computer screen, a screencast is essentially a movie of the changes over time that a user sees on a computer screen, enhanced with audio narration.

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Joe Udell [2004]

Screencast, screencasting Democam, activevid, castware, dynamivid, dynavid,

movieware, narrationware, prescast, presencast, softcast, vidarration, videoactive, vidware, smoovie, screedio, product interview, appbeam, appcast, appflick, appshow, appstream, displaycast, livescreen, screenbeam , screencast, screenflick, screenreel, screenscenes, screenshow, screenshow, screenstream, windowbeam, moviecapture, movieshot, democam, democast, screen movies, video how-to's, screencast, democast, screenblogging, helppeg, cinecord, videmo, democast, demovid, democasting, demosharing, screensharing, udelling, softreel, software reel, appcast, appcap, appstream, appshow, appshow, screen video, screening video, video screening, converstream, videodemo, demovideo, videoshow, usage capture, advid, softmovie, screenmovie, screentake, smoovie, democast, uldeo, screenplay, democast

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Lotus Screen Cam [1994]

ScreenCam (formerly Lotus/IBM ScreenCam) is a Screencast tool for Microsoft Windows that is used to author software demonstrations, software simulations, branched scenarios, and tutorials in .swf (also known as Adobe Flash) format.

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Slidecasting is a standard?

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2004 motivation - slidecasting

PowerPoint gained a position of leading software used to illustrate lectures.

One can easily add to it audio comments but such file has tremendous size.

It is also possible to publish PPT as webpage, but such presentation is properly visible only for Internet Explorer users.

The best solution is conversion of PPT file into SWF format.

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Advantages of SWF (Flash) [1]

Flash format enables greater accessibility of presentations.

Once PPT files are converted to SWF they can be easily viewed by any Internet browser equipped with Flash Player.

Flash format ensures compatibility – everyone who has a computer including Macs, Linux, Solaris, HP, SGI workstations as well as handhelds can watch PPT converted to Flash.

PowerPoint presentation converted to Flash has drastically reduced size up to 10% of the original size.

Flash files can also easily integrate audio tracks.

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Advantages of SWF (Flash) [2]

They can also be played at virtually any resolution and/or screen size.

Due to the fact that progressive downloading of Flash files is possible such files can be easily distributed in the Internet.

Flash files can contain optional embedded basic interaction controls that let the user stop or rewind the presentation.

Last but not least Flash files are more secure from the author rights point of view – it is very easy to edit and copy PPT files.

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From lectures to knowledge clips

Lectures recorded at home or at the university

Reusable Learning Objects – 5 to 10 minutes long parts of lectures

Knowledge clips – short presentations devoted to particular subject

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Motivation 2009 - webcasting

The two podcasts (personal on demand broadcasts) mentioned above have one common drawback – they do not allow two way communication.

The technology of webcasting gives a chance to reinvent the lecture which can be accessible in real time or from archives as podcast.

Classical lecture has been for a long time a dominant method for transmission of knowledge from lecturer to students.

In the era of increased use of technology this type of teaching can limit learning.

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Webcasting [Wikipedia]

A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers.

A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand.

Essentially, webcasting is “broadcasting” over the Internet.

It is a new instructional technology enabling learners to participate in live event via personal computer.

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Motivation 2013 – flipping [1]

Tenths of hours of different podcasts stored on educational portal helped a lot during classes but did not have expected impact on quality of learning process measured in terms of grades obtained by students.

These observations lead to idea to revert the situation.

Why not to ask students to perform easier task at home and learn from podcasts independently and why not to solve during classes more difficult problems.

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Motivation 2013 – flipping [2]

Such situation is with agreement with Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

Lower order thinking skills like remembering, understanding and applying are gained at home from podcasts which can be treated as recorded classes.

Higher order thinking skills like analyzing, evaluating and creating are gained at the university.

Such situation requires change of the role of academic staff – from teachers to tutors.

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To flip or not to flip…

The Short History of Flipped LearningTold by Jonathan Bergmann, Aaron Sams

One of the problems we noticed right away about teaching in a relatively rural school is that many of our students missed a lot of school due to sports and activities. The nearby schools are not nearby. Students spent an inordinate amount of time on buses traveling to and from events. Thus, students missed our classes and struggled to stay caught up.

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To flip or not to flip…

The Short History of Flipped LearningTold by Jonathan Bergmann, Aaron Sams

And then one day our world changed. Aaron was thumbing through a technology magazine and showed Jon an article about some software that would record a PowerPoint slide-show including voice and any annotations, and then it converted the recording into a video file that could be easily distributed online. As we discussed the potential of such software we realized this might be a way for our students who missed class to not miss out on learning. So in the spring of 2007, we began to record our live lessons using screen capture software. We posted our lectures online so our students could access them. When we did this YouTube was just getting started and the world of online video was just in its infancy.

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Flip your classroom

It started with a simple observation: students need their teachers present to answer questions or to provide help if they get stuck on an assignment; they don't need their teachers present to listen to a lecture or review content.

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Definition of flipped classroom

Jon Bergmann, Jerry Overmyer and Brett Wilie: The Flipped Class: Myths vs. Reality, The Flipped Class: What it is and What it is Not

Traditional definition: Where videos take the place of direct instruction This then allows students to get individual time in

class to work with their teacher on key learning activities.

It is called the flipped class because what used to be classwork (the "lecture" is done at home via teacher-created videos and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done in class.

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The Flipped Classroom is NOT:

A synonym for online videos. When most people hear about the flipped class all they think about are the videos. It is the interaction and the meaningful learning activities that occur during the face-to-face time that is most important.

About replacing teachers with videos.An online course.Students working without structure.Students spending the entire class

staring at a computer screen.Students working in isolation.

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The Flipped Classroom IS:

A means to INCREASE interaction and personalized contact time between students and teachers.

An environment where students take responsibility for their own learning.

A classroom where the teacher is not the "sage on the stage", but the "guide on the side".

A blending of direct instruction with constructivist learning.

A classroom where students who are absent due to illness or extra-curricular activities such as athletics or field-trips, don't get left behind.

A class where content is permanently archived for review or remediation.

A class where all students are engaged in their learning.

A place where all students can get a personalized education.

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Preliminary results…

First results from academic year 2012/13 are very positive and promising.

Average result from tests increased by approximately 5% and the number of students who failed decreased.

General students’ opinion about two subjects.

As it could be supposed not all students were satisfied by this change.

There is quite big group reluctant to work at home and prepare to classes by watching podcasts.