Two-way Video Research Articles

Assessing the Use of Two-Way Interactive Video (TWIV) Conferencing to Offer Heart Failure Continuing Education to Rural Pharmacists

ABSTRACTTo assess the effectiveness of using two-way interactive video (TWIV) conferencing technology to offer heart failure continuing education to rural pharmacists, a continuing education program was simulcast from a metropolitan hospital to two rural hospitals via TWIV conferencing. A series of three surveys (pre-program, post-program, six month follow-up) were administered to assess heart failure knowledge and pharmacist confidence when treating patients with heart failure. Fifteen pharmacists participated in the study. Baseline heart failure knowledge significantly improved in the post-program vs. pre-program assessment (90% vs. 66%, P = 0.002) as did the six month follow-up assessment vs. pre-program assessment (81.3% vs. 66%, P = 0.034). Confidence levels of heart failure patient management were significantly improved in the post-program vs. pre-program evaluation (P < 0.022). This study showed that TWIV conferencing can be an effective way to offer live continuing education to pharmacists practic...

On Different Teaching Delivery Methods: What Happens to Instructor Course Evaluations?

This study investigates how students’ evaluation of an instructor's teaching skills, rapport with students, grading policies, knowledge of materials and presentation skills are affected when different delivery methods are used. MBA students'course evaluations in traditional, two-way interactive television, and Internet-based Marketing Management classes taught by the same instructor were compared. Results suggest that assessment of the instructor varied depending on the instructional delivery mode. Students enrolled in the traditional class consistently ranked the instructor the highest in the five evaluative criteria. Except for grading policies, no differences were found between students'responses in the ITV and Internet-based courses.

The Crossroads between Lifelong Learning and Information Technology A Challenge Facing Leading Universities1

Universities Won't Survive Source: An Interview with Peter Drucker, Forbes Magazine, March 10, 1997, pp. 126–127. “Thirty years from now, the big university campuses will be relics. Universities won’ t survive … Do you realize that the cost of higher education has risen as fast as the cost of health care?… Such totally uncontrollable expenditures, without any visible improvement in either the content or the quality of education, means that the system is rapidly becoming untenable. Higher education is in deep crisis… Already we are beginning to deliver more lectures and classes off-campus via satellite or two-way video at a fraction of the cost. The college won't survive as a residential institution. …. Or Will They? Abstract Technology-Mediated Learning and Distance Learning (TML/TMDL), and particularly asynchronous learning through the Internet, are becoming major vehicles for fulfilling the needs of Lifelong Learning (LLL). A hybrid model of studies using technological means is leading to the development of a new pedagogy of learning and teaching. Various new models of higher education are evolving in North America and around the globe, in response to LLL needs and to the new opportunities that are becoming available through the integration of learning technologies. These models are described and discussed in this paper, for the benefit of those who are interested in or are partners to higher education, and in particular the policy makers. Traditional universities can adopt some of these models, while other models may call for the creation of new types of institutions of higher education. Most institutions will find that a joint effort is necessary for reaching the critical mass required for providing their educational system and their faculty with a generalizable, scalable and sustainable TML solution. Creating such coalitions will turn out to be a challenge in and of itself.

Applying Insights from Film Theory and Cinematic Technique to Create a Sense of Community and Participation in a Distributed Video

New tools for mediating interaction require fresh theoretical perspectives that can assist in creating constructive climates for communication and learning. In the past decade distributed video systems have proliferated as tools for instruction and communication. These systems promise increased personal interaction by approximating natural communication through visual contact and verbal exchange. However, research on the use of these tools has consistently pointed out the dissatisfaction of users and the limitations placed on meaningful, engaged communication (Debough, 1999; Simonson et al., 2000). The problem centers on fostering co-presence and engagement among those who use interactive, video-based systems for distance education or work-related activities. The purpose of this paper is to enrich the conversation regarding how to address these issues of communication and engagement. I argue that because most distance education or electronic meeting systems employ variations of two-way compressed or digital video, they are essentially filmic media, and as such users of these distributed visual environments can capitalize on insights from the rich theoretic base of film theory and cinematic technique to engage meaningful interaction and support responsive communication. An illustrative case study in which these techniques are used is presented.

An Analysis of the Virtual Classroom: Does Size Matter? Do Residencies Make a Difference? Should You Hire That Instructional Designer?

Using 2003-2004 data from the Syracuse University School of Information Studies distance education program, we use regression analysis to examine the impact of enrollment, faculty teaching experience, online faculty pedagogical training, and help from an instructional designer on student course evaluations. This paper shows that higher enrollments result in lower teaching evaluations in traditional classroom-based courses, while online courses maximize overall student satisfaction at a class size of 23-25 students. Introduction There is a significant body of evidence that online education is at least as good as classroom-based instruction. Russel (1999) provides sufficient evidence that there is significant difference between the of face to face and online education. Subsequent studies have reinforced the no significant difference phenomenon.1 Distance education research has advanced to determining how online courses can be taught, structured, and supported to ensure education. Authors of The Sloan Consortium studies (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) provide many examples of best practices in online education, examining faculty satisfaction, learner satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, and other measures of quality.2 The recently formed Web-based Information Science Education (WISE) Consortium uses the combined experiences of the consortium members to provide quality principles in online education in library and information science.3 However, despite the volumes of best practices case studies and statements on what defines online education, there is still limited empirical research on several key factors in online education. Does class size matter? Do course residencies matter? Does an instructional designer make a difference? In examining any one of these issues, it is clear that the issues for online classes are different than for campus classes. If class size does not matter, a single online classroom can accommodate an unlimited number of students. The virtual classroom is not constrained by a physical number of chairs or size of a room. But while the constraint is not the size of the classroom, it may be more difficult for an instructor to give attention to larger classes online. The larger online class may also impact the interaction among the students, and ultimately the of the experience. There are a number of studies that examine the impact of class size on student achievement for traditional face to face classes in K-1 2 education; Preece (1987); Slavin (1989); Hanushek (1999); Nye, Hedges, and Konstantopoulos (2002). Preece presents a theoretical basis of how large class size can negatively impact student performance, but the empirical evidence of this negative relationship is mixed.4 The only study on the impact of class size on student achievement for a class offered in distance education format at the university level is Sugrue, Reitz, and Hansen (1 999).5 Sugrue, et al, examine the impact of enrollment on student performance in a managerial finance course offered face-to-face and with two-way video. The researchers used regression analysis on student exam scores to show that an increase in enrollment from 28 to 64 students in the distance education class lowered student performance even when accounting for student ability and initial perception of the class. To examine the impact of class size on the online classroom, this study uses student evaluation data from the Syracuse University School of Information Studies campus and online courses from 2003 and 2004. We used three different methods - scatter charts, regression analysis, and fixed-effects regression analysis - to examine the impact of enrollments on campus and online course evaluations. We test for the impact of enrollment on student evaluations while controlling for faculty teaching experience, online faculty pedagogical training, help from an instructional designer, and whether the course was taught during the summer. …

Development of a teletechnology protocol for in-home rehabilitation

Our ability to provide in-home rehabilitation is limited by distance and available personnel. We may be able to meet some rehabilitation needs with videoconferencing technology. This article describes the feasibility of teletechnology for delivering multifactorial, in-home rehabilitation interventions to community-dwelling adults recently prescribed a mobility aid. We used standard telephone lines to provide two-way video and audio interaction. The interventions included prescription of and/or training in functionally based exercises, home-hazard assessment, assistive technology, environmental modifications, and adaptive strategies. Patients were evaluated in three transfer and three mobility tasks, and appropriate treatment was provided over the course of four visits. To date, 13 of the 14 subjects enrolled in the rehabilitation study have completed all four visits (56 visits total). Equipment-related problems were most common early in the study, particularly on the initial visit to a subject's house. We identified (mean +/- standard deviation [SD]) 13.1 +/- 7.9 mobility/self-care problems per subject and made 12.5 +/- 8.3 recommendations per subject to address those problems. At 6-week follow-up, 60.1 percent of our recommendations had been implemented. The greatest number of problems was identified for tub transfers (mean +/- SD = 3.4 +/- 1.4), the greatest number of recommendations was made for toilet transfers (mean +/- SD = 3.1 +/- 3.4), and the most frequently implemented recommendations were for transition between locations. Overall, our results show promise that both the telerehabilitation technology and intervention procedures are feasible.

NTT's technologies for next-generation video services

This article presents some examples of video content delivery and two-way video communication services and describes current trends in the digital media technology supporting these services. It also describes NTT's research efforts in subjects such as video coding and introduces our vision of business services that combine high-quality secure video delivery with high added-value processing.

Teaching statistics online in a blended learning environment

Several Versions of a Web-based graduate-level course in statistics are described. In the final version, the experiential aspects of a face-to-face course in statistics are maintained through frequent interaction between the instructor and students using digital video lectures that depict real-time statistical computations. The use of text-based explanations, two-way interactive television technology, interactive whiteboard technology, and videos created from VHS recordings also are discussed within a recently described framework for evaluating the instructional effectiveness of new media.

Socio-Cultural Analysis of Two Cases of Distance Learning in Secondary Education

Virtual Schooling for primary and secondary students is becoming increasingly common across the United States. Although distance education has typically been used to address the needs of adult U.S. learners, its use with schoolchildren has been limited. The rapid development and diffusion of ICT has prompted advances in the use of distance education to serve these students educational needs--particularly those in remote rural settings. In this paper we analyse and contrast two case-studies that were gathered to inform researchers and practitioners of online schooling--a case in which two rural schools `coordinated' the use of two-way interactive video to provide live synchronous learning, and a school `replacement' model that provided an interactive online course for dispersed students with periodic live interactive synchronous learning sessions. Analysis drew on Cobb and his colleagues' (2003) techniques to delineate communities of practice and Wenger's (1998) work on boundary encounters, brokers, and boundary objects.

Robotic Long-distance Telementoring in Neurosurgery

To test the feasibility of long-distance telementoring in neurosurgery by providing subspecialized expertise in real time to another neurosurgeon performing a surgical procedure in a remote location. A robotic telecollaboration system (Socrates; Computer Motion, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA) capable of controlling the movements of a robotic arm, of handling two-way video, and of audio communication as well as transmission of neuronavigational data from the remote operating room was used for the telementoring procedures. Four integrated services digital network lines with a total speed of transmission of 512 kilobytes per second provided telecommunications between a large academic center (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and a community-based center (Saint John, New Brunswick) located 400 km away. Long-distance telementoring was used in three craniotomies for brain tumors, a craniotomy for an arteriovenous malformation, a carotid endarterectomy, and a lumbar laminectomy. There were no surgical complications during the procedures, and all patients had uneventful outcomes. The neurosurgeons in the remote location believed that the input from the mentors was useful in all of the cases and was crucial in the removal of a mesial temporal lobe glioma and resection of an occipital arteriovenous malformation. Our initial experience with long-distance robotic-assisted telementoring in six cases indicates that telementoring is feasible, reliable, and safe. Although still in its infancy, telementoring has the potential to improve surgical care, to enhance neurosurgical training, and to have a major impact on the delivery of neurosurgical services throughout the world.

Scalable Variable Complexity Approximate Forward DCT

The discrete cosine transform (DCT) is one of the major components in most of image and video compression systems. The variable complexity algorithm framework has been applied successfully to achieve complexity savings in the computation of the inverse DCT in decoders. These gains can be achieved due to the highly predictable sparseness of the quantized DCT coefficients in natural image/video data. With the increasing demand for instant video messaging and two-way video transmission over mobile communication systems running on general-purpose embedded processors, the encoding complexity needs to be optimized. In this paper, we focus on complexity reduction techniques for the forward DCT, which is one of the more computationally intensive tasks in the encoder. Unlike the inverse DCT, the forward DCT does not operate on sparse input data, but rather generates sparse output data. Thus, complexity reduction must be obtained using different methods from those used for the inverse DCT. In the literature, two major approaches have been applied to speed up the forward DCT computation, namely, frequency selection, in which only a subset of DCT coefficients is computed, and accuracy selection, in which all the DCT coefficients are computed with reduced accuracy. These two approaches can achieve significant computation savings with minor output quality degradation, as long as the coding parameters are such that the quantization error is larger than the error due to the approximate DCT computation. Thus, in order to be useful, these algorithms have to be combined using an efficient mechanism that can select the "right" level of approximation as a function of the characteristics of the input and the target rate, a selection that is often based on heuristic criteria. In this paper, we consider two previously proposed fast, variable complexity, forward DCT algorithms, one based on frequency selection, the other based on accuracy selection. We provide an explicit analysis of the additional distortion that each scheme introduces as a function of the quantization parameter and the variance of the input block. This analysis then allows us to improve the performance of these algorithms by making it possible to select the best approximation level for each block and a target quantization parameter. We also propose a hybrid algorithm that combines both forms of complexity reduction in order to achieve overall better performance over a broader range of operating rates. We show how our techniques lead to scalable implementations where complexity can be reduced if needed, at the cost of small reductions in video quality. Our hybrid algorithm can speed up the DCT and quantization process by close to a factor of 4 as compared to fixed-complexity forward DCT implementations, with only a slight quality degradation in PSNR.

Legal and Social Issues Surrounding Closed-Circuit Television Testimony of Child Victims and Witnesses

Summary Prosecution of crimes involving child victims and witnesses is particularly difficult because of the age of the children involved. Facing the alleged offender in court and the experience itself of testifying in an open court with dozens of onlookers are acutely difficult. The effect on children may be traumatic, with the potential to produce substantial psychological and emotional harm. Various court procedures have been implemented in the United States in an effort to minimize these effects. Court procedures can include erecting screens to shield the child victim or witness, presenting videotaped testimony, or testifying via one-way or two-way closed-circuit television. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) testimony, which is especially controversial, involves both legal issues surrounding the constitutionality of such testimony and social issues regarding the effectiveness of closed-circuit television testimony. Substantial variation across states in provisions for closed-circuit television testimony for child witnesses is problematic. Consideration is given to how social science research directly influenced the Supreme Court's decision in Maryland v. Craig(1990), and the current state of research regarding use of CCTV and court outcomes. Some research suggests a pro-defense bias when CCTV is used.

Best Practices for Online Facilitation

Imagine you are helping a 20-something year-old student logging on to his/her first online course. Then, imagine you are helping a 40- or 50-something year-old student logging on to his/her first online course. What are the differences? The first obvious difference may be the degree of computer skills and experience. Most young adults have had experience with computers, electronic games, and other digital devices in their K-12 classrooms, friends' homes, the mall, and even workplaces. Computers are a way of life for them. But for older learners, computers often cause anxiety; technological proficiency may be a newly acquired skill, limited perhaps only to their television remotes. Those of us older than 35 did not grow up with computer technology, so may have had to adapt to it in our workplaces. Technological proficiency and comfort are also accompanied by very different expectations learners bring to online learning. Younger adults also bring expertise with a variety of different types of communication: IM (instant messaging), interactive video games, online chats, electronic bulletin boards, blogs (Web-based journaling sites) and cell phones that take and send photos and text messages. It is important to take these audience factors into consideration when facilitating online learning. In addition to matching the learner preparation and abilities to the course level and content, other factors that contribute to facilitating of online learning best practices include understanding the technologies, effective course design, the multiple roles of the facilitator, developing your own online style, and effective group interaction. Understanding the Technologies There are many different technologies that add to the complexity of distance learning. The first online courses provided content and communication in one direction, such as documents from a static Web site, video to view, or information pushed from the instructor to the learner by e-mail. Today, the designer of an online course has many more ways to deliver information and create interactive communication. The technologies that make these different course delivery methods possible often are called information communication technologies (ICT). Today these technologies enable delivering course materials and one-way and two-way communication over the Internet, via satellite as well as traditional landline telephone and cable networks. Any of these ICT enable both synchronous (same-time or real-time) communication and asynchronous (at different times) delivery and communication. Examples of synchronous delivery include two-way audio (via computer, telephone or radio) or two-way video, IM, text messages and online chat. Examples of asynchronous delivery include e-mail, listservs, online bulletin boards, Hogs, videotapes, CD-ROMS or archived audio and video streams. ICT delivery modes are converging with the development of high-speed, wide-bandwidth Internet capacity (what the techies call big pipes) to carry content. The early forms of ICT delivery often used static Web sites as information repositories, with e-mail being the primary interactive medium. Then listservs, discussion forums, and chat technologies developed and were attached to Web sites. Soon these technologies were integrated with course management systems (often abbreviated as CMS or LMS--learning management systems). Examples of CMS are Blackboard, WebCT, angel, and eCollege. These course management systems (CMS) integrate features such as pages for announcements, the syllabus, course documents, and calendars along with interactive features such as discussion forums, e-mail, chats, white boards, drop boxes and group workspaces. Instructional management features include grade books, test construction and delivery, and tools to connect digital library resources, other Web resources such as research databases, audio and video streams, etc. …

An Evaluation of a Health Video on Demand Service Available to the Public via Interactive Digital Television

The public is rapidly being furnished with digital health information of all kinds and on a wide and expanding range of platforms – kiosk, Web, digital interactive television and mobile device. Along with different platforms are different ways of providing information: text, graphics, audio records as well as two-way communication and video. This paper examines one of the very first attempts to provide the general public with health information and advice via a video on demand (VODs) service, downloadable from a digital interactive television (DiTV). This was the NHS Direct service on the HomeChoice channel available to cable TV-on-demand subscribers in the London area. The authors analyse questionnaire and records of actual video use to build up a picture of the impact the service has. Reported here are the initial results of a video on demand service. Data on users, use, satisfaction and the value of the service was investigated using a combination of log analysis and questionnaire survey methods.

Telemedicine and doctor-patient communication: a theoretical framework for evaluation.

The literature on doctor-patient communication demonstrates that patient, provider and contextual characteristics influence behaviour within medical encounters, which in turn is an important determinant of health outcomes. This paper introduces a conceptual model which posits that telemedicine affects health outcomes through changes in the way doctors and patients communicate with one another. It also proposes that this process depends on the medium through which the consultation takes place, whether in person, over the telephone, via fax or email, or through two-way interactive video. Since participants in two-way interactive video-consultations rarely meet in person, it is particularly important that the effect of substituting video for face-to-face consultations be delineated.

FACILITATING LEARNER INTERACTIONS IN THE TWO-WAY VIDEO CLASSROOM

This case study examined dialog in two-way video classroom, the influence of instructional strategies on that dialog, and participant perceptions of the experience. Analysis of coded observational ...

Scalable portrait video for mobile video communication

Wireless networks have been rapidly developing in recent years. General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA 1X) for wide areas, and 802.11 and Bluetooth for local areas have already emerged. Broadband wireless networks urgently call for rich contents for consumers. Among various possible applications, video communication is one of the most promising for mobile devices on wireless networks. This paper describes the generation, coding, and transmission of an effective video form, scalable portrait video for mobile video communication. As an expansion to bilevel video, portrait video is composed of more gray levels, and therefore possesses higher visual quality while it maintains a low bit rate and low computational costs. Portrait video is a scalable video in that each video with a higher level always contains all the information of the video with a lower level. The bandwidths of 2-4-level portrait videos fit into the bandwidth range of 20-40 kbps that GPRS and CDMA 1X can stably provide; therefore, portrait video is very promising for video broadcast and communication on 2.5-G wireless networks. With portrait video technology, we are the first to enable two-way video communication on pocket PCs and handheld PCs.

Educating Students via Distance Learning for Civil Engineering Design

Two structural engineering courses were taught using distance-learning technology. One course was a graduate level, steel design course and the other was an undergraduate, elective, timber design course. Two-way live video and audio connections linked classrooms at San Jose State University and San Francisco State University. The interaction between student and teacher is discussed. These courses were the first time the California State University system offered students academic credit at either of two universities for a course taught via distance education from a single location. The challenges of teaching engineering design concepts via distance learning are discussed. Assessment of the teaching method was performed using student surveys and review of student grades. The assessment survey revealed that the students’ overall impression was positive. Grades received by the students at the Remote Site were lower than those at the Home Site, but this discrepancy may not have been a result of the distance-l...

Telementoring and teleproctoring.

Telemedicine has previously been defined as "live two-way interactive video communication between a physician and a patient and/or another physician, where all participants are able to see and hear one another much like a face to face encounter." This concept has gained recent notoriety because of the great advances in telecommunications and the potential future increased cost-effectiveness associated with its utilization. We have developed a telementoring deployment protocol that can be effectively used to introduce a student to telementoring processes. The strict protocol uses military commands to facilitate smooth information transfer. The use of a concept called tactical information deployment provides the surgeon with rapid access to reference information in the operating suite. Multimedia interactive CD-ROMs, with digitized movie clips, illustrations, sound bits, and the latest academic review of the literature arm the surgeon with a database that establishes an unprecedented clinical adaptive capability (CAC). The availability of this information is invaluable to surgeons in their initial advanced laparoscopic procedural efforts. Telementoring simulator opportunities are included to acclimate the participant to the process. If the process seems comprehensive, it is meant to be. This is a high-risk situation, and a patient's welfare is on the line. If this concept is to reach its maximal healthcare delivery potential, responsible and academically credible training programs should be established with directional guidelines.

REDUCING DISTANCE THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING: THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP DOCTORAL PROGRAM AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

Creating a virtual community among learners in a course or program can increase student retention and satisfaction. Although community colleges are increasingly turning to on-line learning experiences for students, doctoral programs in community college leadership (CCL) can model the blending of different learning modalities. Using face-to-face experiences, two-way compressed video, on-line information posting, and synchronous and asynchronous on-line discussions, the CCL program at Colorado State University creates community among its doctoral students. A vignette is presented to illustrate the life of one of these doctoral distance students and to detail the uses of the various learning modalities. The article concludes with a discussion the three main types of support necessary for empowering students and keeping them connected in their community: multiple communities support, multiple meeting spaces support, and multiple systems support. The serendipitous result of this experience has been seeing doctoral students return to their respective community college campuses and use this blending of on-line modalities to serve their own students.