Automatic creation of indexed presentations from classroom lectures

Abstract

This paper describes a system designed to automatically capture classroom events as videos and images. This content is delivered in several ways, most commonly as indexed multimedia presentations but also in real time as notes of classroom events. This content creation system identifies when significant events occur, e.g., material presented by computer and projected on a screen or written on a standard whiteboard, and saves these events as enhanced images. In parallel with the whiteboard capture, a digitally-zoomed video of the speaker is created. The significant event images (from cameras and computers) are used to create an index into the video and the images, video and index are complied into a Flash presentation. These presentations are used by on-campus or distance students. The event images can also be stored and exported to a Ubiquitous Presenter-style server that provides students with real-time, in-class access. The event images and video are recorded transparently to the lecturer. The lecturer need not make any modifications to teaching style or modality (whiteboard, computer-based presentation, or a combination). The primary focus of this paper is on event image and video capture techniques. The lecture capture system has great benefits for education and we report some initial experience using it in support of computer science curricula.