Exciting show on low-cost distance learning by Roger Boston et al.

<<February 20, 2000>>

Roger Lee Boston <rboston@tenet.edu>

Colette Mazzucelli <mazzucelli@beaver.edu>

Dr. David A. Johnson <daj@utk.edu>

Alexandre Rivas <alex_mau@argo.com.br>

Takashi Sakamoto <sakamoto@nime.ac.jp>

Dr. Antonio Pinto-Rodrigues <APinto-Rodrigues@unido.org>

Richard Wah <wah_r@usp.ac.fj>

Mr. Myron Nordquist <myron_nordquist@burns.senate.gov>

Lieutenant Colonel Jeff F. Addicott <jaddicott8@aol.com>

Harvey J. Langholtz <hjlang@facstaff.wm.edu>

Mrs. Yoko Takagi <teleclas@mbd.sphere.ne.jp>

Victor T. Ching <vicching@compass.com.ph>

Dear Roger:
===========

(1) Many thanks for your msg (ATTACHMENT I).

(2) YES!! I enjoyed your recent great show with our Tampere event alumni --
with my 56 Kbps dial-up modem and accessing to a node at Columbia
University in Manhattan, which must have been connected to a broadband
Internet trunk line. (However, the slowest, i.e., my modem speed, is
the limiting factor.)

Dear Electronic Colleagues:
===========================

I strongly suggest that you view it also at the web site listed in his msg below.

(3) I amazed with the advancement of data compression technology used by
RealPlayer. It is certainly the best so far I have ever seen before.
The audio is almost the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or CD quality.

However, strangely, there were sometimes interferences with
someones' conversations -- just like when we used old analog POTS
-- e.g., during Colette's talk on Rotary Scholarship.

With this clarity, as people often say now in industrial journals,
we may be able to expect that overseas calls would become free of
charge very soon -- and hopefully, Internet, too.

(4) I experimented with three ways;

(a) with small frame,
(b) with large frame,
(c) with Lan/Cable modem (220 Kbps access -- even with my 56 Kbps modem).

(5) The small frame gave me clear audio streaming. Video was crisper
without any blurring. However, the letters on slides were very hard to read.

You are now accomplishing to have very good audio -- though there is
still huge problem (*), and the video often be ignored by students in
order to save the bandwidth for better audio quality, the next important
thing you then need to have is the CONTENTS transmission.

(*) As you said during the session with Alex Rivas, the
inconsistency of Internet (sometimes good, but sometimes bad).

You may also recall Chinese words;

When I hear, I forget.
When I see, I remember.
When I do, I know."

I then add Knowledge applied with interaction becomes wisdom."

The audio is the absolute necessity of videoconferencing, but, alas,
what the audio said often be forgotten!! You then need to supplement it
with images of CONTENTS in order to be remembered by students.

As I often said before from my experiences with analog and digital
satellite videoconferencings of Global Lecture Hall (GLH)", the
order of important items in the videoconferencing is (i) audio,
(ii) contents (text, graphics, diagrams, application/simulation
programs, etc.), and then (iii) video.

You presented those contents with slides in full frame, but the
frame itself was so small that the letters in the slides were not
readable -- forfeiting the most important mission of teaching --
transfer of contents.

(6) When I viewed it with a large frame, I noticed slight blurring as David
moved his head, but these were tolerable and much better than the one we
saw you through NetMeeting in Manaus/Amazona in October, 1998 with 56
Kbps dial-up modem.

However, the audio was often cut off, no lip-synchronization, and many
download data buffering intervals -- sometimes I had to wait for 20 to
30 minutes to start next streaming!!

On the other hand, slides were readable, of course.

(7) With clicking Lan/Cable (220 Kbps), I had to wait more often for data
download buffering.

However, when I replayed it after several of those bufferings and as
retrieving from its cache file, audio and video were very clear in a
large frame -- no audio dropping nor blurring of video.

They were better than analog/digital satellite broadcasting
videoconference, and can certainly take over them in the near
future -- even such as Space Collaboration System (SCS) of Japan
with $100 million to connect only 125 or so schools.

Prof. Sakamoto:
===============

This is the day of future to come -- which I mentioned to
you at your office in the spring of 1999 and in Tampere.

This system is no cost, and for anyone at anywhere, compared
with your closed system.

However, this is possible only when broadband Internet with
Quality of Service (QoS)" feature is available which can
circumvent the huge inconsistency problem mentioned above -- that
is why of our Global University System with global broadband
Internet project both of which are to be financed with Global
Service Trust Fund (GSTF).

(8) Roger:

I would like to show this during my future talks. However, if I access
to this web site and receive with streaming audio/video, there will be
aforementioned trouble.

Can you send me its file? I will then be able to store it in the hard
drive of my laptop and retrieve it immediately, as if I access through
high speed line. How big is the file?

I also wonder if you can figure out to have those slides and still
images to be appeared in the right hand column with web broadcasting
while you talk.

Namely, while we watch small frame of your studio in RealPlayer,
the right frame of the web browser is showing several large crisp
studio photos -- in freeze frame mode. Then, why don't you use
this frame to show the slides as you talk? I saw you have done
this technique with PowerPoint before.

I suppose that those TV studio people are still with analog TV
commercial age and haven't thought of utilizing or combining the
magnificent features of Internet and computer power.

Alex:
=====

I want you to keep this in your mind when we do our demonstrations
at TV Amazona in Manaus and if they will broadcast it through
Internet as they did during our GLH in October, 1998.

Dear Colette:
=============

(9) Your talk was very succinct, yet comprehensive. Congratulations to
become a master of distance learning delivery technology!! Thanks also
for your mentioning my name.

Dear Dr. Antonio Pinto-Rodrigues and other colleagues at UNIDO:
===============================================================

(10) When I made my talk at your office last month, you asked me the real
examples of distance learning courses, and I tried to show them at
Roger's web site -- with some difficulty of slow speed of your Internet
line (it seemed worse than my 56 Kbps).

I would strongly suggest that you try to view his show at his web site
listed in ATTACHMENT I.

Pls particularly watch/listen Colette's talk who summarized well various
low cost delivery technologies, e.g., (a) conference call, (b)
PowerPoint slides, (c) Internet chat, (d) RealAudio, and (e)
videoconferencing (NetMeeting for point-to-point and CU-SeeMe for
multipoint), etc.

You may also access his web sites listed in his address below.

(11) I suppose that your workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in September can
access high speed Internet so that Roger can demonstrate this approach
to delegates from 6 African countries and your technology centers around the world.

(12) Prior to your workshop, you may encourage your colleagues to try
accessing Roger's web site for testing of their Internet capabilities.

Dear Richard Wah:
=================

(13) You may use Roger's system to save one 64 Kbps INTELSAT channel, instead
of using 2 x 64 Kbps channels for ISDN type videoconferencing with
Polycom (at $20,000)!!

(14) Since each of those channels to nearby islands in the South Pacific may
not be so much congested yet, you may get almost same audio/video
quality by this approach as the Polycom's ISDN approach -- without
spending any money!!

Dear Myron, Jeff and Harvey:
============================

(15) Pls listen Colette's talk on the conflict resolution in Kosovo.

The same technique may be applicable to your distance learning on peace
keeping in Colombia and around the world.

Dear Yoko:
==========

(16) As you see, Internet approach is getting very close to ISDN (Integrated
Service Digital Network ==> or often said as Incredibly Super Duper
Nonsense) approach. Only we need now is to have broadband Internet --
at least, at 220 Kbps.

You better get ready to utilize various techniques as Colette described.

Dear Victor:
============

(17) Pls try to access Roger's web, too -- getting acquainted with those
advanced Internet technology will be the first thing for your business.

Dear Roger, Colette, David, Alex and John:
==========================================

(18) Congratulations again for your very successful and exciting show!!

Best, Tak
****************************************
ATTACHMENT I

Date: 18 Feb 2000 13:05:00 -0600
From: "Roger Boston" <BOSTON_R@hccs.cc.tx.us>
To: utsumi@columbia.edu
Subject: Re: URGENT REQUEST

Tak,

========================================
<<February 20, 2000>> Removed the rest by T. Utsumi,
========================================

please enjoy the STARLINK Satellite event from last Tuesday featuring
Dave Johnson and Colette Mazzucelli, also Alex Rivas, John Hibbs and others,

ON THE INTERNET NOW,
http://www.teched.org/starlink

Kim, you will prefer to watch our program streaming at 220,000 bits per
second looking very wonderful indeed, far FAR beyond the experience that
can be had by modem.

This tenth anniversary progam by Starlink is being said by some already
to be the best the have ever uplinked, Colette and Dave did a great job!

Roger
****************************************
List of Distribution

Roger Lee Boston
Rockwell Chair/Instructor
Distance Education/Technology Center
Houston Community College System
4310 Dunlavy Street
P.O.Box 7849
Houston, Texas 77006
USA
Tel: +1-713-718 5224
Fax: +1-713-718 5301
rboston@tenet.edu
boston_r@hccs.cc.tx.us (secondary)
http://www.rboston.com
http://www.teched.org/
http://www.hccs.cc.tx.us
http://www.teched.org/Finland
http://www.teched.org/ChinaLive
http://www.teched.org/starlink

Colette Mazzucelli, Ph.D.
Director and Assistant Professor
International Peace and Conflict Resolution MA Program
Beaver College
2000 America's Best Colleges
US News & World Report
20th in the North
(Maine-District of Columbia)
450 S. Easton Road
Glenside, PA 19038
215 572 4074
215 572 2126 (fax)
mazzucelli@beaver.edu

Dr. David A. Johnson, AICP
Board member of GLOSAS/USA
Former President of Fulbright Association
Professor Emeritus, School of Planning
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Tenneseee
108-I Hoskins Library
Knoxville, TN 37996-4015
USA
Tel: +1-423-974 5227
Fax: +1-423-974 5229
daj@utk.edu
davidj@buncombe.main.nc.us
http://web.utk.edu/~djohnutk/

Alexandre Rivas, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
Director of the Center for Environmental Sciences
University of Amazonas - Brazil
C.P. 4208, Manaus 69053-140
BRAZIL
+55-92-635 32 33
+55-92-644 23 22
Fax: +55-92-644 23 84
alex_mau@argo.com.br
http://www.argo.com.br/~alex_mau/alex.htm

Takashi Sakamoto, Ph.D.
Director General
National Institute of Multimedia Education (NIME)
2-12, Wakaba
Mihama-Ku, Chiba 261-0014
JAPAN
Tel: +81-43-298 3000
Fax: +81-43-298 3471
sakamoto@nime.ac.jp
http://www.nime.ac.jp/
http://hoklpc25.uta.fi/egedl/outline/virtualuniversityinjapan.htm -- his slide
presentation at Tampere event.

Dr. Antonio Pinto-Rodrigues
Acting Director
Investment and Technology Promotion Branch
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Vienna International Centre
P.O. Box 300
A-1400, Vienna
Austria
tel 0043 1 26026/4864 or 3809
tel 0043 1 26026/4834 (secretary)
FAX 0043 1 26026/6805
APinto-Rodrigues@unido.org

Richard Wah
Head of Distance Education and Deputy Director
University Extension
The University of the South Pacific (USP)
Laucala Campus
PO Box 1168
Suva, FIJI
Tel: (679) 212483
Fax: (679) 300482
wah_r@usp.ac.fj
richard.wah@usp.ac.fj
www.usp.ac.fj

Mr. Myron Nordquist
Legislative Counsel
U.S. Senator Conrad Burns' Office
187 Dirksen Senate Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2603
202-224-6808
Fax: 202-224-8594
Cell: 301-646-8153
myron_nordquist@burns.senate.gov
http://www.senate.gov/~burns/
804-924-7573 -- at the U. of VA.
Fax: 804-982-2622 -- at the U. of VA.

Lieutenant Colonel Jeff F. Addicott
Attoney at Law
Deputy Staff Judge Advocate
United States Army Southern Command
HQ USSOUTHCOM, SCSJA
3511 NW 91st Avenue
Miami, FL 33172-1217
305-437-1304
Fax: 305-437-1320
jaddicott8@aol.com

Harvey J. Langholtz, Ph.D.
Director, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
Programme of Correspondence Instruction in Peacekeeping Operations
UNITAR POCI
Box 20475
Dag Hammarskjold Centre
New York, NY 10017-20475
Voice: (757) 221-3880
Facsimile: (757) 253-7704
e-mail: hjlang@facstaff.wm.edu
http://www.wm.edu/unpeacek/index.html

Mrs. Yoko Takagi
Japan Representative
Teleclass International Japan
I*EARN JAPAN
1-11-25 Tsukawaki
Takatsuki, Osaka 569-1036
JAPAN
+81-726-88-3415
Fax: +81-726-80-2115
teleclas@mbd.sphere.ne.jp
http://www1.sphere.ne.jp/Teleclas

Victor T. Ching
President, Philippine Office
Foundation for the Support of the United Nations (FSUN)
President
Chinatown Broadcasting Network
Rm. 1908 Cityland 10 Tower 1
6815 H. V. Dela Costa St., cor. Ayala Ave.
Salcedo Village, Makati City
Philippines
867-4490 to 92
Fax: 00632-812-7733
00632-718-1814
vicching@compass.com.ph
265397@easycall.com.ph
**********************************************************************
* Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E., Chairman, GLOSAS/USA *
* (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.) *
* Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education *
* Founder of CAADE *
* (Consortium for Affordable and Accessible Distance Education) *
* President Emeritus and V.P. for Technology and Coordination of *
* Global University System (GUS) *
* 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-3998, U.S.A. *
* Tel: 718-939-0928; Fax: 718-939-0656 (day time only--prefer email) *
* Email: utsumi@columbia.edu; Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676 *
* http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/ *
**********************************************************************

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