Time-to-Adoption: One Year or Less

The convergence of high definition video and broadband is changing the way we think about video and video conferencing. The tiny talking head in one corner of your monitor is no longer the state of the art; video communication now involves large-format multimedia displays that almost seem to bring the participants right into the same room, wherever they may be. Access Grid, a collection of resources and technologies that enable this kind of interaction, is a compelling model: there are thousands of certified sites, or nodes, equipped to connect with one another all over the world. A key difference between old-style video conferencing and advanced communication is the number of participants; Access Grid is designed to support large-scale, group-to-group interactions and collaborative work, while traditional videoconferencing linked, at best, a few individuals.

The underlying technologies that support this advancement are high-definition video and high-speed Internet or broadband. As these technologies improve, the possibilities for groupwork at a distance expand. In the world of industry, events like the merger between Cisco and Scientific Atlanta support the convergence of these technologies and the development of advanced collaboration systems.

Relevance for Teaching, Learning & Creative Expression

  • opens the classroom to remote students, faculty, and domain experts
  • enables demonstration and experience of mechanical or laboratory techniques
  • allows groupware and visualization software to be used collaboratively among participants
  • encourages collaborative research, discussion, and problem solving

Examples

  • The Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis at The University of Queensland offers live and interactive electron microscopy and microanalysis sessions for remote researchers, industry representatives, lecturers, students and other interested groups on the Access Grid. http://www.uq.edu.au/nanoworld/agrid.html

For Further Reading

Transforming Pedagogy Through Conversion to Digital Video Methods: A Practical Example in A University Setting
(by Larry Gilbert, undated.) A short paper written by the Director of Academic Technology at Western Washington University, which provides an overview of digital video collaboration. http://west.wwu.edu/atus/director/icem_geneva.asp

AccessGrid.org
The Access Grid website contains information about how to set up Access Grid technology, links to community discussions, and a listing of existing nodes around the world. http://www.accessgrid.org/

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