Microsoft Research ConferenceXP: Related Research Papers

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Read the latest research on topics related to ConferenceXP, including wireless classrooms, collaboration, and distance learning. If you have a research paper that you would like to see here, let us know.

Floor Control Alternatives for Distributed Videoconferencing over IP Networks
J. J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves, Patrick E. Mantey, Sireesh N. Potireddy
Baskin School of Engineering, University of California at Santa Cruz

This paper explores the use of floor control over videoconferencing applications as a means to support videoconferences with many participating sites, but with a processing and communication overhead per site that is equivalent to a two-party videoconference. The main tradeoff we explore is the scalability attained with floor control versus the latencies incurred with floor transitions, which can be much too disruptive to the videoconference participants. We present a viable compromise in which only the video stream of the “floor holder” is sent to all sites, but the floor-passing protocol is such that it supports a brief overlap of the transmissions from the old and the new floor holder, such that the participants in the videoconference can instantaneously switch over to the media streams of the next speaker in an apparently seamless transition. Experimental results and implementation in a research video-conferencing system show that the proposed protocol can run effectively, eliminating race conditions, while maintaining scalability and reliability.

Inter-Partition Networking for Overlay Multicast
Sauleh Eetemadi
Michigan State University

A network partition is formed when a set of network nodes is divided into non-overlapping subsets of nodes. Hence, each member of a network partition, known here as an island, consists of network nodes that do not belong to any other island. Within each island, one or more nodes, known here as reflectors, are responsible for communicating all content that is either originating from the island or destined toward that island. Therefore, the islands of a network partition communicate through their reflectors. Inter-partition networking addresses the problem of communications among the islands of a network partition (i.e., among non-overlapping subsets of network nodes) through their reflectors.

Inter-partition networking and its related optimization problems have not been a focus for researchers in the context of overlay networks. Although inter-partition networking has been investigated by researchers for communicating between autonomous systems, overlay networks bring a new dimension to the problem. In overlay networks, any node within a partition is a potential candidate for inter-partition communication (i.e., for being a reflector). In this case, the key problem is which nodes should be selected as reflectors in order to achieve the best possible networking performance. In this work, we focus on providing multicast connectivity across the Internet by inter-partition networking. Routers that do not support IP multicast, partition the Internet into multicast disconnected networks (multicast islands). First, we develop an intuitive model for extending multicast connectivity to more users. Next, we extend this idea to a more efficient and optimized architecture, which leads to a set of inter-partition networking problems. We prove that the inter-partition optimization problem (under certain constraints) is NP-hard. We propose an algorithm to solve this problem in polynomial time by relaxing one of the constraints. Finally, under another contribution of this work, we estimate the optimum solution by deriving the probability distribution function of the inter-partition network capacity, both analytically and numerically. We show that our estimate becomes more accurate as the number of nodes increase.

Interaction Patterns with a Classroom Feedback System: Making Time for Feedback
Richard Anderson, Ruth Anderson, Tammy VanDeGrift, Steven A. Wolfman, Ken Yasuhara
University of Washington

In this paper, we describe two novel patterns of interaction that arose in a study of a computer-mediated feedback system for the university classroom. In both patterns, students gave feedback through the system that they would not have given aloud for lack of an appropriate moment—either because the feedback would be premature or tardy. We describe the patterns themselves and how awareness of the patterns can inform pedagogy and system-building.

Lecture Presentation from the Tablet PC
Richard Anderson, Ruth Anderson, Crystal Hoyer, Beth Simon, Fred Videon, Steve Wolfman
University of Washington

We have developed and deployed a lecture presentation system called Classroom Presenter in which the instructor uses a Tablet PC as a presentation device. The system has been deployed in courses at the University of Washington, University of Virginia, and the University of San Diego, and has been favorably received by students and instructors. In this paper we present an overview of the system and discuss particular uses and advantages of the system in small and large lectures as well as distance education scenarios. We discuss two system features in greater detail, a facility for supporting multiple versions of slides for instructor notes, and a facility for delivering student feedback in real time to the instructor. We report on in class use of these facilities.

Speech, Ink, and Slides: The Interaction of Content Channels
Richard Anderson, Crystal Hoyer, Craig Prince, Jonathan Su, Fred Videon, Steve Wolfman
University of Washington

In this paper, we report on an empirical exploration of digital ink and speech usage in lecture presentation. We studied the video archives of five Master’s level Computer Science courses to understand how instructors use ink and speech together while lecturing, and to evaluate techniques for analyzing digital ink. Our interest in understanding how ink and speech are used together is to inform the development of future tools for supporting classroom presentation, distance education, and viewing of archived lectures. We want to make it easier to interact with electronic materials and to extract information from them. We want to provide an empirical basis for addressing challenging problems such as automatically generating full text transcripts of lectures, matching speaker audio with slide content, and recognizing the meaning of the instructor’s ink. Our results include an evaluation of handwritten word recognition in the lecture domain, an approach for associating attentional marks with content, an analysis of linkage between speech and ink, and an application of recognition techniques to infer speaker actions.

Making Connections: Using Classroom Assessment to Elicit Students’ Prior Knowledge and Construction of Concepts
Sarah Schwarm and Tammy VanDeGrift
Computer Science and Engineering University of Washington

Students bring prior knowledge and experiences to the classroom. According to the constructivist learning theory, students incorporate new knowledge into their existing knowledge frameworks. We used Classroom Assessment Techniques in an information technology course to elicit the construction of knowledge process. We found that CATs and instructor feedback can help shape and reveal this construction process. Some students claimed that the CATs helped put new ideas into their own words and helped them simplify the concepts.

A New Model for Remote Laboratory Education Based on Next Generation Interactive Technologies
Ji Hua, Aura Ganz
University of Massachusetts Amherst

In this paper we describe a new model for interactive virtual laboratory experiments based on the new generation of interactive technologies. Such a model, denoted Interactive Virtual-LAB (IV-LAB), which is implemented using Microsoft ConferenceXP learning infrastructure, provides a seamless laboratory experience. It enables students dispersed in different geographical areas to work together in virtual laboratory groups and learn how to effectively use the physical laboratory equipment.

Other projects that enable remote access to physical laboratories, do not provide students with the opportunity to work in groups that collaborate and solve problems in real time. We think that this is an important feature of the lab experience. The uniqueness of our approach is that we provide seamless access to the physical lab as well as provide the students and instructors the opportunity to interact and collaborate in real time.

Using Microsoft ConferenceXP, we have developed an application of IV-LAB architecture for the Computer Networks instructional laboratory that includes a wide variety of networking equipment such as routers, switches, wireless access points, etc. The IV-LAB real time collaboration feature can be either in plain text, voice or video, which maximizes the power of interaction. The easy and flexible deployment method provides ubiquitous access for the lab instructor to insert new lab material or manage existing labs. The proposed IV-LAB architecture can be extended to support real time collaboration in other remote laboratories, either in engineering or science fields.

Promoting Interaction in Large Classes with a Computer-Mediated Feedback System
Richard Anderson, Ruth Anderson, Tammy VanDeGrift, Steven A. Wolfman, Ken Yasuhara
University of Washington

Eliciting student participation in large college classes is notoriously difficult yet critical to learning. This paper describes a design experiment with a computer-mediated feedback system for promoting class interaction called the Classroom Feedback System (CFS). We delineate specific challenges to interaction and propose design principles to address them. CFS realizes these principles and establishes a computer-mediated channel for student-initiated feedback. Students position preset annotations (e.g., MORE EXPLANATION, GOT IT) directly on the lecture slides. CFS anonymizes the annotations and presents them to the instructor in real time. Successive experiments with paper and electronic prototypes validated our design and guided iterative refinement. Evidence from a large lecture study using the feedback system suggests that CFS increases levels of student-instructor interaction and addresses specific challenges to interaction.

Videoconferencing and Presentation Support for Synchronous Distance Learning
Richard Anderson, Jay Beavers, Tammy VanDeGrift, Fred Videon
University of Washington, Microsoft Research

Synchronous distance education can partner students and professors from different geographic or cultural regions, allowing them to share and learn from each other. Technology must support the sharing of ideas and materials. Using an iterative design approach, we investigated challenges in synchronous distance learning environments through observation of Masters-level courses connecting two learning sites. Through observations, interviews, and surveys we learned of two major challenges: low-quality audio/video makes interaction difficult and presentation technologies in distance learning environments make extemporaneous teaching difficult. We developed and deployed a new distance learning system using internet based video conferencing and a pen computer based presentation system. We studied system use in a Masters-level course. Analysis of qualitative data (observation notes, surveys, interview transcripts) collected in the course suggest that technological interruptions increased the feeling of separation between the sites, while the integration of natural handwriting with slides increased flexibility and was perceived positively by students and instructors.

Experiences with a Tablet PC-Based Lecture Presentation System
Richard Anderson, Tammy VanDeGrift, Steve Wolfman, Ken Yasuhara, Ruth E. Anderson
University of Washington, University of Virginia

In this paper, we describe a new presentation system called Presenter, which integrates display of instructor handwriting and slides, offers natural, high-quality writing capture, and has separate instructor control and projected display views. Our goal was to develop a system which at least captures the benefits of prepared slides and extemporaneous writing and diagramming, and, in the process, identify features of presentation systems which are critical to their success. We validate our design through studies of actual, in-class use of Presenter. Overall, Presenter was positively received by both students and instructors. Specific observation data from our studies help illuminate key design choices in Presenter.

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