From: esz001@cck.coventry.ac.uk (Will Overington) Subject: APP: Partners Sought for Distance Education Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1992 12:52:26 GMT Organization: Coventry Polytechnic, Coventry, UK Coventry, England. 5th February 1992 On 17th January 1992 I placed the notice below on noticeboards in this department (Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering at Coventry Polytechnic, Coventry, England). Four of us were at the meeting, which took place on 23rd January, with another interested person unable to attend due to commitments elsewhere in the department. Would anyone be interested in joining with us in such a project? My intention is that the software distributed would include databases with a virtual world user interface. Also, I am looking at the possibility that some of the software that would be distributed would include a virtual world of the same parts of this department that are used for the filming of the videotapes. POSSIBILITY OF A DISTANCE EDUCATION PROJECT IN EES DEPARTMENT 17th January 1992 W. J. G. Overington At team briefing on wednesday morning, when suggestions for new courses were requested, one of my suggestions was that we should seek to establish this department as a major provider of distance education courses, in our specialist topics, on a european wide scale. I am here setting out my initial ideas in more detail, in the hope that all those interested might like to attend a meeting, say next week, in order to discuss whether we can get such a project going. I suggest that we produce courses, based upon existing modules, upon videotape with a view to them being broadcast upon a channel of the Astra satellites system. There are currently 32 Astra channels available, most, but not all, carrying television signals for most of the day. Some channels are totally unused at present. A further 16 channels are expected to be added in 1992 and a further 16 channels in 1993. I envisage that, for example, a module that involves a lecturer using an overhead projector and then students using some software written in this department as being videotaped, edited so as to replace shots of the overhead projector screen with computer generated displays carrying the same information, (transferred directly from computer to videotape), and then broadcast. The software will be distributed to students, either directly or by depositing it with a disc duplication service which will make and supply the copies of the software for a small fee. We can experiment with various methods of presentation. For example, if we cut out direct pictures of the lecturer speaking and use pictures of computer screens, or of someone loading discs, and so on, we can then make good use of the ability to broadcast four different sound channels simultaneously with the one picture. These could be English, German, French and some other language. I have seen this multilingual approach used to great effect on the Astra Eurosport channel, where four commentators, for four languages, are provided for sporting events. Gradually, I would hope that we could use the teletext lines of the television signal to provide a textual information service, and that we could develop my telesoftware invention so that software distribution could accompany the television programmes. At a meeting we will need to discuss many aspects, including giving consideration to tutorial support, assessment, examinations and so on. We also need to discuss funding and grant applications, both internal and external to the polytechnic. I have no idea of what the cost of broadcasting the finished tapes would be, but am attempting to find out. However, I have noticed that one Astra channel carries, each evening, from 6.00 p.m. until 10.00 p.m., advertising programmes that consist of such things as detailed half hour demonstrations of food preparation systems for the home kitchen, craft kits for producing stained glass effect windows, and so on. They then offer the food preparation systems, craft kits and so on, for sale. It is not as if we are seeking to buy time as if it were advertisements in the middle of some soap opera, where the cost of the advertising time has to include a share in the costs of producing the soap opera. It is entirely possible that the costs will be within what an internal grant from the polytechnic would provide. The only major problem would be if it were a case of having to have a channel all day, every day, or not at all. Even if this were to occur however, and remember that it may well not be the case anyway as Japan Satellite Television is only on Astra in the early morning and after 7.00 p.m., there is always the possibility that we could approach a German television channel on Astra, such as 3Sat or 1plus, where only a test card is broadcast in the early mornings. I am a great believer in effective and appropriate staff training. It is my intention that proper training in the various aspects will be provided, possibly during the Easter vacation and shortly afterwards, and during the summer. The provision of such training, and, indeed, the whole project proceeding, depends upon the agreement and authorization of the departmental management. It will be an early task of interested people to prepare a documented project proposal to the departmental management, in the hope that a well thought out, quality case will win enthusiasm and authorization upon its merits. I feel that this project could run effectively if at least five people are willing and able to be involved. However, my suggested policy is that all staff who so wish are welcome to participate, with training provided. We will need to become able to carry out all the various tasks ourselves. These will include presenting lectures, operating video cameras, editing video tapes and administration. I envisage that training could possibly be provided by staff from the School of Art and Design and that we could use their facilities for editing video tapes, at least in the early stages. It is natural that any attempt to carry out distance education using broadcasting will be compared with the Open University. However, the Open University has no monopoly and there is no reason to think that the Open University way is the only way. This is not to criticise the Open University, merely to point out that there are choices of ways to do things and no absolute best, or correct, way.