Beyond E-mail: Collaborative Technologies for Education
Welcome to Beyond E-mail!, one of the breakout sessions of TechWatch 2000. Our goal during our short time together is to present several software applications for student and teacher collaborations, allow you to engage one another via the available computers, and to answer your questions. We will have time to talk about and demonstrate only a small number of tools available, so we created this web space to deal with those products we did not have time for and to go into greater detail describing the products you did see. We also created a master list of products that we hope you will find useful as well.
We have created five categories to guide our session. They are text-based discussion, videoconferencing, audioconferencing, MUDs and MOOs, and groupware. Although these concepts are slippery and you may be more familiar with other terms, we will do our best to describe each category and the products in each. We have included an abbreviated glossary to help in understanding our use of terms.
We have created four categories to guide our session:
Text-based discussion
Let’s start with the basics. Some of this technology has been with us since the early 1970’s. We have provided a timeline for a simple diagram of the history. Some of the early technology consisted of Usenet newsgroups, listservs/e-mail, and chat software. All are simple to use but require a client to communicate with the server running the software. To use a newsgroup, the user needs to have a newsreader. Some of the early newsreader programs were nn, and later, Agent. Electronic mail also required a mail client and a server to hold the mail. Sometimes the mainframe computer maintaining the accounts also ran the client software, like the program Pine. A program called talk, and later ytalk and ztalk, ran simple synchronous chat sessions, in real-time and between two people.
These sorts of programs are still in use today and their educational value has not yet diminished. In order to run your own listserv or mail server, you would need the necessary software. Below are a few examples:
MERAK Mail Server SMTP/ESMTP/POP3/IMAP4 support, remote web administration, firewall for security, anti-virus support, anti-spam options, etc. ($240-$840 depending on number of users).
MDaemon POP3/SMTP, Spam Blocker, Mailing lists, alias editor, account control, etc. $200 to $1500 depending on features and number of user licenses (from 6 to unlimited).
dMail POP3/SMTP/ESMTP/IMAP4 support, spam filters, mailing lists, multiple domain support, web administration, cross-platform support (MacOS, Win9x/NT, several flavors of UNIX, etc.), optional web-based email, free 30-day trial. $245-$445.
Recently NNTP-based discussion forums have come on the scene. Dnews 4.5 costs between $95 and $495, depending on your institution. It offers your school work access to more than 20,000 Usenet discussion groups and the ability to create private forums.
Most educators would rather not deal with the issues surrounding mail servers and news servers when commercial web sites offer free e-mail accounts. And web-based discussion software is the evolutionary next step. All the user needs is a web browser such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer to use these discussion packages. However, the discussion software itself needs to run on a server, either one maintained by the manufacturer or one in your school.
Let’s get on to the more powerful Web tools. After all, this is Beyond E-mail! Two of the leading text-based discussion packages on the market are WebBoard and WebCrossing. They are not only used by most major universities across the country, but are serving e-commerce sites as well.
WebBoard <http://vidref.lth1.k12.il.us/~TechWatch2000>
We will spend a little bit of our time today using the application, WebBoard. The latest version of WebBoard is running on one of the servers at the Area One Learning Technology Hub. This full version requires either MSDE (Microsoft Data Engine) or SQL. SQL is a database server that costs a lot of money. To compare WebBoard to other sites, browse http://webboard.oreilly.com/wb4/product_info/comparison_frame.html
A free evaluation version of WebBoard can be downloaded from their site and run on your personal computer. You do not need server softare like Microsoft Personal Web Server. WebBoard comes with its own server software. Also, the Area One Learning Technology Hub will run your web conference for free. Just contact them.
WebCrossing <http://www.webcrossing.com>
WebCrossing is also used by many of the leading e-commerce sites on the World Wide Web. It can run on many different platforms, AIX, BSDI, Digital Unix, FreeBSD, Irix, Linux, MacOS, Solaris, SolarisX86, SunOS, and of course Win95/NT4. There are several versions of WebCrossing and they vary in features and price.
The Chat capability is limited to 5 users. The Chat software must be purchased separately if this is a feature you require. WebCrossing is password-protected. It's difficult to break into, but it also makes it difficult for the young student because they have to remember logon's and passwords. This of course is also the case for WebBoard. They also have to type the password exactly, which always draws a big sigh.
To try an existing WebCrossing conference, check out <http://128.174.135.11:80/webx>
Below is a short list of web-based discussion environments, ranging from those in the $1000+ price range to the applications that can be downloaded for free. When you pay for a web-based solution, you might be paying for the service. Many of the companies who produce these applications run the software on their own servers, and you pay them to carry your text-based conference. Some come with their own server package, some require server software like Windows NT server. The discussion software developers are always adding new products and new features to their existing programs. To keep yourself current, check out http://www.virtual-labs.com and http://www.cnet.com.
Expressions <http://www.eshare.com>
An application rated highly by PC Magazine, it has a set-up Wizard and is very customizable. It does not work on Mac, only Windows NT with service Pack 4.
Big Mouth Lion Webware Forum Manager <http://www.infohiway.com/bigmouthlion/>
Big Mouth does not allow for chat, but its $195 Introductory Offer is very attractive (must be an educational institution). The program runs on UNIX, Windows NT, and Mac, using Perl.cgi.
Ceilidh <http://www.lilikoi.com/index_main.html>
This program is free, and works on Mac, Windows, and UNIX. And it works with all the major web servers and does not ship with a web server of its own.
Consensus@nywhere <http://www.softbicycle.com/consensu.html>
Meeting software that allows "voting" (using database of choices) and the software stores the voting data. Limited statistics can be run. In fact, teachers can think of an infinite number of applications!
Delphi <http://www.delphi.com/>
This is one of those programs where the forum exists on the application’s server, but it’s free. However, there is little control over the interface appearance or advertising.
dialogue ’net discussion <http://www.magictree.com/>
This program only works with Windows NT or 95, and the user needs to provide a server. Good points are that it has been tried with Microsoft's Information Server, Netscape's servers, and WebSite. Most importantly, It’s free.
Emaze Forums 1.2 <http://www.emaze.com/forums.cfm>
Offers a pretty interface, but costs $295.
InterBoard <http://interboard.theforge.com/>
Only runs on Windows 95/NT, UNIX, etc., and not on Mac.
PushPin <http://www.pushpin.com/>
Only known to run on NT/Unix, but could run on others. Written in Perl. Costs $99.
The software that allows for threaded or continuous discussions is not all that complicated, which means there are a lot of applications out there that do the same thing. There are too many programs available as freeware to review, but they are virtually available at:
http://thinkofit.com/webconf/index.htm#freeware
Videoconferencing
We are going to focus on the kind of video conferencing that can be done from a desktop computer. Corporate firms have conducted conference-room-to-conference-room video for several years now, but it is still expensive. The technology has recently expanded from ISDN connections to web-based, multipoint conferencing.
Luminet <http://www.luminet.net/luminet/video/index.html>
Commercial Video Service is a fiber optic-based service for the transmission of full-motion, broadcast quality video signals (4.2 MHz). CVS is very flexible; it can deliver video one-way, two-way interactive, point-to-point, multipoint, and broadcast. This video service converts the video output signals from cameras into signals that drive fiber-optic lasers. A single fiber path in one direction provides up to 16 channels of video. A second fiber in the opposite direction is required for full-duplex, interactive video and provides an additional 16 channels.
Intel ProShare Video System 500 <http://www.intel.com/proshare/?iid={bcpo=vcforbiz}>
A desktop solution that works only with Windows machines. PictureTel, a well-respected contributor in this market, recently took the System 500 from Intel and is marketing it themselves. Basically it is a suped up version of NetMeeting. They provide the camera, microphone and other incidentals. And it does not come cheap.
Intel TeamStation System <http://www.intel.com/proshare/conferencing/portals/teamdata.htm>
This is the much more expensive room-based version of the system 500. Its price range is in the $10,000+ range.
RealNetwork Server
Allows for the encoding of video from web cam or camcorder.
FirstClass <http://www.cet.uiuc.edu/firstclass/docs.asp>
Freetel <http://www.freetel.com/>
For free telephony over the Internet. Conferencing should be divided into large-scale and small scale.
ClassPoint <http://www.wpine.com/Products/ClassPoint/index.html>
Distance learning -- Instructor controlled chat, interactive quizzes, instructor controlled white board and app sharing, guided web tours, audio and video chat with "spot light" feature to call on students or for them to raise their virtual hands.
Room-based video conferencing requires several expensive technologies, such as sophisticated compression hardware and software, and echo cancellation.
Audio conferencing
CU-SeeMe <http://www.wpine.com/>
Many have tried CU-See, and many have been disappointed. White Pine has made some improvements and you will be pleasantly surprised. Take a look.
NCSA’s VSS <http://cage.ncsa.uiuc.edu/adg/VSS/>
The Vanilla Sound Server is a browser-based interactive audio environment being developed by the Audio Development Group at NCSA. It allows for interactive listening environments and is an attempt to mimic the intense multimedia focus on the visual experience.
This is still in the infancy stages. The research group is attempting to develop a Netscape plug-in prototype.
Sound IDEAS
This is a freeware whiteboard application that also allows for audioconferencing.
http://www1.zdnet.com.au/swlib/Communications/General_Communications/000NXS.html
MUDs and MOOs
Tapped In <http://www.tappedin.org/>
A MUD (multi-user dungeon) is a virtual meeting place which contains objects, where people can behave in a similar way to real-life equivalents. The system is based on rooms which can contain objects and where people can meet; in general, a person’s activity is restricted to the current room. A MOO is a MUD built on Object-Oriented principles. MOOs have great potential for educational purposes and professional communication.
Groupware
Zebu <http://www.mc2learning.com/products/zebu/index.html>
Created by the same people who designed FirstClass, Zebu is aimed at the grade school classroom. It truly offers a collab
The EduPalace http://www.edupalace.com/
This program supports the development of online learning communities, and offers educators, students, and educational researchers free Palace servers and special end-user software.
Lotus Domino/Notes <http://www.lotus.com/home.nsf/welcome/domino>
This is the Cadillac of collaborative groupware. Lotus Domino permits any Web browser to interact securely with a Notes database (including discussions). Domino also supports the NNTP protocol (NNTP is like a newsreader protocol). The database is maintained for all discourse&endash;text-based, audio/video, etc. This is true groupware. It’s more than what most educators would ever need and its very expensive.
ICQ <http://www.icq.com>
ICQ ("I seek you"), is an instant messaging program that lets you communicate with others in real time. The latest version has improved email-handling features that allow you to check more than one email account and cancel incoming email messages you don't want to download. You can also view up to 99 lines in the email header message and decide which messages you'd like to download. Another new feature, "E-ICQ," lets you join interest groups and receive information about issues related to these groups directly to your Contact List. Other features include Web searching right from within ICQ; support for an unlimited amount of text in messages; a variety of font styles and text and background colors to choose from; a pop-up menu of built-in services such as reminders, to-do lists, notes, and email options; and a tabbed chart of ICQ networks, including Sports, Students, and Science and Technology. In addition, a Groups feature makes it possible to organize large contact lists into manageable categories.
To seek out another individual on the ICQ network, enter his or her ICQ number, name, nickname, or email address. Once your contact list is set up, you'll be notified when others in your database are online so that you can chat; send instant messages, files, and URLs.
ICQ offers instant messaging, real-time text chat, file transfer, simple email, is a front end to many other programs including real-time audio, video, and gaming.
Extras
Mbone <http://www.mbone.com/mbone/>
The Multicast Internet (commonly known as "the MBone") is the region of the public Internet that's connected by IP Multicast. Mbone is often used for interactive video and audio, often by groups of scientists like those the Argonne National Lab. When several sites, actually specific computers (IPs), are linked, all routers in-between are set to a percentage of dedicated connection (say T1) bandwidth, even for a temporary time period. With some degree of compression, this allows for improved frame/picture smoothness and resolution for either video streaming or video conferencing in real time.
H.323 <http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/cisco/mkt/ios/tech/mmcm/tech/h323_wp.htm>
H.323 is the International Telecommunications Union - Telecommunications (ITU-T) standard for real-time multimedia communications and conferencing over packet-based networks. Because it supports the well-established H.320 set of audio/video codec recommendations for ISDN communications, the H.323 standard allows compliant products from different vendors to interoperate over packet networks, as well as with traditional ISDN equipment.
Cisco Systems is a leader here and is about to release a new solution, but beware. It may require a WAN or regional switch in the $50-100K range to coordinated site-to-site links. It may well become a defacto/industry standard. As dedicated lines become commonplace and CPU speeds increase, a threshold will be reached that will allow all of these technologies to work together.