Using Video Cell Phones for Videoconferencing

Thomas McNeal&

Mark van ’t Hooft

NECC 2006, San Diego, CaliforniaJuly 6, 2006

Why Not Regular Videoconferencing?

Traditional videoconferencing systems are expensive and not very easy to use, and therefore may not be accessible to many teachers.

Cell phones are mobile and easy to use.

It’s New Technology, Not Perfect Yet

Even though two-way videoconferencing using cell phones is not yet widely available, one-way video is and can be a valuable tool for classrooms.

Our ProjectModern wireless technology has drastically changed how

we communicate. It also has the potential to be an educational tool for the classroom teacher.

This project was created to: Investigate videophones as an educational tool;Reduce the barriers to videoconferencing for a school;Provide a form of videoconferencing to schools that had

none;Demonstrate how resource sites near and far (museums,

zoos, etc.) can be valuable tools;Give students the opportunity to talk with local experts

when they cannot meet face-to-face.

Verizon Video Cell Phones

Verizon Wireless donated 3 video cell phones with services;

These phones (LG VX8100) can take still pictures and 15- second video clips and then send them via email or to websites.

Here’s How Our Project Works

The teacher and the students decide on what resource sites they will need more information from in order to enhance their studies. Sites we have used so far include: Stow City Hall (major interview for unit on land use) Cleveland Museum of Natural History (interview with expert on

dinosaurs for a unit on dinosaurs) Akron Zoo (interview with an expert about how animals take care

of their young and their habitats) Farm (interview with chicken farmer for unit on superstructures.

Students were hatching chicks)

Roving Reporters

Student reporters with phones visit a resource site such as a museum, business, or local political office and interview an expert.

At this time they create video clips and pictures files with the videophones.

Sending the Media

Pictures and video can be: Emailed Uploaded to sites like Flickr or youTube

Clips and Photos

Expert answering questions Demonstrations of a concept How-to video Pictures of the subject being

discussed

Click images to play video clips

Follow-Up

Students review the video clips in class as part of their curriculum.

Click images to play video clip

Follow-Up Phone Conference

Next, a phone conference is arranged with the expert, either on the same day the clips are created or on a future date.

We use the cell phones for this also! During the phone conference the students speak with an expert

keeping detailed notes on the conversation. The students use their notes, clips and pictures to create multimedia reports.

It Works!

It’s not full videoconferencing (yet) but it works!

The students seem to get more out of conversations with experts after they have reviewed the clips (as opposed to just talking to them).

Teacher Interview

Click images to play video clip

What’s The Next Technology?

Live video broadcasting of video using

PocketCaster from ComVu

Need a mobile device with video recording ability and a data account with your mobile carrier

How it Works Demo Video

What May Be Possible for Education

Frequency 1550 (video): Location-based learning using cell phones, GPS, and UMTS.

Netherlands

Click images to play video clip

What May Be Possible for Educationstate of an application

tools for the observation(picture, voice, video, text)a location information included (GPS)

track informationthe task

task based trackssend a messageread a messagePoC (Phone over Cellular)

MOOP: inquiry learning, skills for gathering information and building knowledge, creative problem solving and interactive and cooperative learning.Technology used: Cell phones with GPS, push to talk and tools for observation such as a camera and audio recording.Finland

Links

DVC Project http://www.dvcproject.org/ RCET: http://www.rcet.org

Flickr: http://flickr.com/learn_more.gne Frequency 1550: http://freq1550.waag.org/ Packetvideo: http://www.pv.com/ PIX & FLIX MESSAGING (Verizon):

http://getitnow.vzwshop.com/index.aspx?id=messaging_pixflix

PocketCaster: http://www.comvu.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com

Questions?

Thomas McNealDirector, Desktop Videoconferencing Project

tmcneal@kent.eduwww.dvcproject.org

Mark van ‘t HooftResearcher, RCET

mvanthoo@kent.eduwww.rcet.org