Research for Classroom Interaction System Supporting Distributed Instruction (CISSDI) with Dale Musser:

Hybrid course. Online and in class.

Current Situation:

• Zoom between Dale and Ketcham (Colmer). Chat going on through Canvas.
• Laptop sitting in a lecture hall.
• Multiple instances of Zoom cancel feedback from each other out so audio becomes an echo chamber.

Problem: Ease of use for "technophobic" teachers.

• How do we fix this/improve interest in tech/teaching with tech.

Differences in Instructor endpoint vs Student endpoint changes/thoughts/design.

Want: The ability to connect with other students through on-campus experiences.

Want instruction everywhere for everybody (lecture hall, bedroom, kitchen, etc.)

• You want to come to class, come to class.

• You want to stay at home, do that.

• You want to tune in for 50 minutes at work, excellent.

• You can't do any of the above, watch the video afterwards.

• All kinds of things that help students:

  • Work on stuff
  • Get help
  • Activity areas (physical hardware)
  • Instruction together on campus

• Offline engagement, but still have online section.

• Ability to look around/get closer to/hear and understand students while remote.

Need: Hybrid environment (like Harvard's CS50).

• Put the right technology together/provide faculty with the proper tech.
• Funding available to figure out what this should be like.

Possible Ideas

• PTZ Camera(s) remotely controlable (Allows instructor to zoom in on someone while they're talking).

• Room mic plus another that could be passed around.

• Vertical screen as a presence in the room:

  • Made publically available.
  • Separate from Zoom.
  • Different than current box in the corner of the screen. Able to convey himself better.

• Lavalier Mic

How To Get Equipment

• Brian Mauer Director of Undergraduate Studies
• IT Program Checkout for production courses. Available for students. Ask Brian.

Notes

• Network video compression makes camera quality matter slightly less.

• Use cases are important with any project (real-time video, etc.)

• Any thought you have, document it. (It's for posterity's sake ;D )

• e.g.

  • I think this is a good idea
  • I think this is hurting/helping this person.

More Ideas

• Portable vs. Permanent Installations:
  • Campus investments kept in mind
  • Portable would be best.

If we have a thing on a wheeled thing (stand) that could be rolled into the room with the camera/mic/streaming hardware/etc. that could be plugged in and very little would have to be done, that would probably be ideal.

• For Example: Interactive touch display whiteboards. Problem is that these are expensive

• Security issues? How can we secure these wheelable stations to make them semi-permanent.

How will I approach this problem?

• Look at the context and apply own creativity.
• Data collection? How do you want to connect with that?
• Capture the student's experience that's at a distance.
  • How does it look/feel to them?