DISTANCE LEARNING
History of Medicine Project: Reynolds Historical Library
Borst.
Lister Hill Library of Health Sciences, University
of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
The Reynolds Historical Library, part of UAB's Historical Collections,
contains many rare medical history books and other materials which are
generally unavailable and cannot leave the library. The Lister Hill Library
Learning Technology department and Department of History faculty are collaborating
with the History Department at Virginia Polytechnic Institute to establish
an extended classroom. Student/instructor interaction is the backbone of
the extended classroom, as distinct from computer-based education. This
extended classroom will transmit high-quality images of rare texts and
allow real-time student/instructor dialog about the specific details associated
with the texts. History of Medicine courses will be taught via the extended
classroom, allowing students at each institution to take advantage of textbook
and faculty resources that cannot otherwise be accessed simultaneously.
The ability of the extended classroom to use current digital video/audio
technologies and to transport high-resolution imagery makes teaching these
courses possible. The extended classroom’s transmission of a large volume
of video, audio and image information requires sophisticated, reliable,
high-bandwidth network transport with well-defined quality-of-service parameters.
http://www.uab.edu/reynolds/
http://www.uab.edu/reynolds/cholera.html
Distance Learning
University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) and University of Alabama at Birmingham
(UAB).
The University of Alabama is a recognized innovator in new distance
learning technology through its collaborative efforts with IBM. UA is one
of seven institutional members of the Foundation Coalition (FC), an NSF-sponsored
undergraduate engineering education reform project. This five-year, $15
million dollar effort involves other vBNS institutions and provides a wealth
of opportunities for applications of distance learning technology. The
FC classroom differs dramatically from a traditional classroom, in that
it relies heavily on both the use of technology and active learning. Thus,
the standard distance learning model (active lecturer and passive students)
does not fit cleanly with the FC classroom model. The ability to effectively
communicate all the activities taking place within the FC classroom environment
(e.g. the instructor, the student teams, use of technology by both
instructor and student teams) requires advanced network services with guarantees
for latency, bandwidth, and traffic delivery.
For example, University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa)’s Capstone Nursing program
works closely with the medical programs at UAB. The use of advanced network
services such as available via the vBNS and Internet2 would permit a tighter
coupling of these two programs. Nursing students at UA would be able to
interact directly with UAB’s medical staff in these courses. Medical images,
video, audio, and related data could be transmitted between these two sites
in a timely manner, and a QoS-capable network would enable the use of advanced
medical technology in the classroom. Approximately twelve to fifteen nursing
courses are taught each semester at University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa)
that could benefit from advanced, high-bandwidth connectivity between UA
and UAB.
UA has established the necessary support infrastructure for distance
learning, maintaining an office dedicated to distance education with eighteen
support personnel. The University of Alabama System Intercampus Interactive
Telecommunication System (IITS) provides a networked system of conference
rooms at twenty sites across the state. These conference rooms use standard
compressed digital video technology to transmit two-way audio and video
between sites via a private, special-purpose T1 network. The number of
courses available via IITS is increasing rapidly, and several master’s
programs are now available via IITS. UAB also delivers credit and noncredit
coursework via IITS through the "UAB Options" program which has
available three digital video codecs, and several on-campus conference
rooms specially constructed to enable traditional multi-point, room-based
videoconferencing. In addition, the UAB Medical Center has a fiber connection
to the Medical Forum Building located in downtown Birmingham. The Medical
Forum is a large facility specifically designed for large medical conferences,
including videoconferences. (Kirk)
Unfortunately, many interactive distance learning courses on both University
of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) and UAB campuses suffer from the limitations of
"traditional" videoconferencing technology in that high-bandwidth,
multimedia course content is not feasible. Separate management, scheduling
and support of the IITS network rather than integration with the traditional
data network of the campuses limit the on-campus distribution of courseware.
The economic and functional leverage derived from use of a single wiring
infrastructure, management structure, and network consolidation for both
data and video transmissions, as well as the potential for a vastly broader
audience, suggests that UA and UAB Distance Learning programs will benefit
greatly from broadband digital technology and advanced wide-area network
connectivity such as is available with the vBNS and Next Generation Internet.
The Music Technology Program
Panion.
Stevie Wonder Center for Computing in the Arts, Department of Music, University of Alabama
at Birmingham (UAB).
The UAB Department of Music is developing a concentration in music emphasizing
concepts and techniques for MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
sequencing and scoring, analog and digital multi-track recording, synthesis,
sampling, and multimedia production. It is currently the only such program
in the Southeast. The program focuses on the applicability of these technologies
to musical creativity, including study of various software and hardware
systems that allow students to create professional quality vocal and instrumental
scores, completely by-passing the previous procedure of sending scores
to publishing and printing houses. Students will also proof their arrangements
by listening to the full vocal and/or instrumental arrangements through
MIDI controlled synthesizers and samplers; create professional analog and
digital recordings without the expense of high-priced recording studios
and studio musicians; prepare marching-band shows that can be conceptualized,
designed, viewed and listened to on a computer; and prepare elaborate,
MIDI-controlled musical arrangements for live theatrical productions, including
sound and lighting effects, time-programmed to synchronize with different
events. Current collaborators in research and composition include musicians
at Ohio State University and Purdue.
Development of network based music instruction and interaction has been
severely limited due to the high bandwidth required for transmission of
high quality audio, as well as serious shortcomings caused by the latency
inherent in current network technology. The ability to reliably transfer
and receive high-quality digital audio with QoS guarantees would be of
great advantage in music education and collaboration.
http://www.music.uab.edu/
Medical School Distance Teaching
Smith. Division of Radiology.
Wulkan and
Hardin
Division of Pediatric Surgery. University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
The School of Medicine has several departments housing web-based teaching
materials, which are of clinical quality and structured by expert teaching
physicians. Computerized Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI) studies may contain more than 100 images (each 12-16 bits/pixel,
512x512). Plain radiographic exams often have 1-4 images per study (each
12-16 bits/pixel, 2Kx2K). Since the teaching studies are currently offered
via commodity Internet network technologies, current file sizes are optimized
for speed, severely limiting the number of images as well as degrading
the resolution and timeliness of transfer. More advanced network services
such as defined by the vBNS and Internet2 will allow display of images
at nearer actual clinical resolution, as well as open the door for inclusion
of three-dimensional reconstructions and video clips. The Department of
Radiology has collaborated with University of North Carolina colleagues
in developing their teaching files.
http://www.rad.uab.edu
http://www.chsys.uab.edu/
The Post-graduate Education via Internet
Semes.
School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
Quarterly education for optometrists in the state and region. This application might involve up
to 100 simultaneous users sharing images, slide presentations, voice and video.
The Focused Interventions in Public Health Education
Capper.
School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
A funded three-year project to experiment with innovative and low cost
distance learning technologies for public health practice will make this type of continuing education
available to public health professionals at very low cost. High performance network connectivity is
important to the project mission. Ideally, the project would utilize
two way interactive video and audio for portions of the course; however, streaming video and audio
conferencing could be substituted if the former is not available.
The state departments of public health in New Mexico, Indiana, and Alabama and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention are partners in this endeavor.
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