9552593 Maly Building on its expertise in networking, computer supported collaborative work, and remote learning, Old Dominion University will prepare to build a statewide highly Interactive Remote Instruction (IRI) testbed based on networked workstations. Technology and pedagogical methods developed in testbed will be integrated into TELETECHNET, a state funded program in which Old Dominion University and community colleges will provide four-year programs. The first two years will be taught at the community colleges with the last two being provided by Old Dominion University to remote community college campuses via networked and televised course instructions. The project will consist of a one- year preparatory phase, covered by this proposal, and a three-year phase of research, development, and implementation to be covered by a follow-on proposal. Significant contributions of the proposed one-year project include: 1) refining an existing IRI prototype to provide an open-ended teaching/learning environment with a set of basic features easy to use by students and faculty of all disciplines; 2) developing the basic concepts of new instructional methods to exploit the interactivity of the system in support of higher domains of learning; and 3) preparing to bring together a consortium of government, industry and academic individuals who are dedicated to innovative approaches to education for the 21st century. This will lay the foundation in providing Virginia with a cost-effective method of delivering high quality education remotely in support of some of the 50,000 additional students expected to enroll in Virginia's public colleges and universities by the year 2001. The proposed hardware/software architectures use existing technologies but anticipate the wider availability of a high-speed Information superhighway and multimedia workstations in the near future. The architecture provides an open environment in which many types of teaching materials and inst ructional software can be incorporated. The prototype provides two-way video to remote sites; shared operation of X-window tools and applications; interactive note-taking; a VCR-like replay of past classes and ancillary material and a full motion video window which can display the instructor, a classroom demonstration, or any PC, Macintosh or X-window application. This instructional capability goes beyond traditional TV courses and traditional classrooms by enabling instructors and students to access multimedia generated from a variety of sources and to use group collaboration tools for interaction between two participants, among small groups, or entire classes. The system will provide audio-visual interaction and allow faculty and remote-site students to share the manipulation of software tools, such as spreadsheets or chemistry models. While the elements of IRI are currently technically feasible, a major portion of the project's efforts are directed to the developing of new student-centered teaching methods and paradigms which take advantage of the environment and to refining the hardware and software through experience of actual instructional needs. Key to the success of our approach is an interface which students and faculty from all disciplines can use with intimal training. This system will provide access to higher education, not only for traditional students, who for personal or financial reasons choose not to reside at a four-year institution. IRI will promote effective use of network and computer technology for all participating students and faculty. Exposure to technology-enabled interaction will help prepare students for the challenges of increased global competitiveness. Old Dominion University will consider the total project a success in developing a long-term self-sustaining system if half the TELETECHNET courses use IRI within five years, both faculty and students accept and benefit from this mode of teaching as demonstrated with such metr ics as cost satisfaction and there is an increase in the number of students completing four-year degrees. We will consider the one-year phase successful if we shall have used a version of the IRI system in a real class environment and identified the problems in that version. ***
