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Session 3220

Practical Streaming Video on the Internet for Engineering Courses On- and Off-Campus

Hai-Shuan Lam, Kurt Gramoll University of Oklahoma

Abstract

Over the last few years, the Internet has been increasingly used for education and research purposes. In particular, since the introduction of streaming video technology for the Internet, there has been a large interest in broadcasting engineering courses in part over the Internet. This paper discusses topics on how to prepare a streaming video in several inexpensive ways within an organization for engineering education. Studies have been made using different software, hardware, and video properties such as frame rate, streaming rate, and movie size. The major concern for preparing a streaming video lecture for engineering course is the visibility of diagrams and equations written on the chalkboard or whiteboard. Experiments have been done on Microsoft Netshow, RealNetwork Real Publisher, Apple QuickTime, and Vivo Active Producer. The cost and the ease of implementation were taken into consideration. This paper also presents the results of actual classroom use of streaming video for Engineering Statics course and a Leadership for Engineers course. Both courses have been taught in the Spring and Fall of 1998, and the Spring of 1999.

I. Introduction

Since Fall 1998, the College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma (OU) has implemented a Laptop Program, which extends the use of electronic media for enhancing the engineering education. Starting from Fall 1998, the program requires every freshman engineering student to own a laptop. Over the next 4 years, all the undergraduate courses will be taught with the help of a laptop computer. A radio-frequency (RF) wireless network connection is one of the services provided by the school of engineering in conjunction with the laptop program. This allows the students and faculty to be connected to the network, both the Internet and OU’s local area network. This program greatly encourages research in the use of electronic media and Internet for creating a better learning environment due to the ease of use and the universal use of computers in all courses. Furthermore, the RF wireless also has a better data transmission rate (actual rates of 200-300 kilo-bits per second, kbps) than traditional infrared or modem-based connections which helps with multimedia applications over the network.

With the current advances in network technology and streaming video over the Internet, it is now possible to broadcast actual engineering lectures over wireless networks with reasonable quality. Since lectures are a critical part of most engineering programs, it is important that any distance learning course, whether on or off campus, include quality video of lectures. Also, making the

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Lam, H., & Gramoll, K. C. (1999, June), Practical Streaming Video On The Internet For Engineering Courses On And Off Campus Paper presented at 1999 Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina. 10.18260/1-2--7893