Lecturer

Abstract

Distance Learning technologies are important research and application issues of multimedia computing and networking. The tutorial starts from the discussion of current distance learning approaches, with a highlight of some potential research problems. Methodological and sociological issues of distance education will be presented. A survey of distance education technologies and projects toward possible solutions is given. The tutorial covers important topics, such as communication system for virtual university operation, instruction authoring and assessment, educational technology, and standards for distance learning. Demonstrations of distance learning projects follow the presentation. The conclusion of this tutorial points out suggestions and directions to the potential future university operations. Audiences may benefit from the tutorial by understanding the new research issues of distance learning. For a sample tutorial, please visit the following tutorial Web site: http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/chinese/teacher/tshih/icme2001-tutorial.htm
which was presented in IEEE ICME’2001, IEEE PCM’2001, and several other international conferences. However, the content of this tutorial will be revised and updated according to the general interests of the ACM Multimedia’2002 audience.

Detailed Outline

• Preliminary concepts and history of distance learning
  • History of media technology
  • What we can learn and improve using Internet and Web technologies
• A survey of current distance learning programs
  • Distance learning programs in traditional universities
  • Virtual universities
  • E-Learning portals
• Methodological and sociological issues of distance education
  • Policy, people, and technology of distance education
  • Questions and answers in distance learning panel discussions
• State-of-the-art research issues in distance learning
  • Research projects and systems around the world
  • Operation criteria of virtual university
  • Middleware system for virtual university operation
  • Potential research issues
• SCORM: Sharable Courseware Object Reference Model (if time is available)
  • XML course structure format
  • Run-time environment
  • Metadata
• Technologies for the implementation of distance education systems
  • Web authoring and engineering
  • Educational technology
  • Multimedia synchronization technology
  • Mobile agent technology
  • Broadband communication technology
  • Wireless communication technology
• Demonstrations of several distance learning research projects
  • A Persistent look-and-feel agent
  • A courseware development and student assessment system
  • An on-line annotation tool with feedback and control
  • A synchronized multimedia presentation and editing tool
• Summary and References
  • Distance education in the near future
  • Distance education journals
  • Distance education books
  • Distance education Web sites

Lecturer's Biography

Dr. Shih ( http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/chinese/teacher/tshih.htm) is a Professor and the Chairman of Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at Tamkang University, Taiwan, R.O.C. He is a senior member of IEEE and a member of ACM. His research interests include Multimedia Computing and Networking, Distance Learning, E-Commerce, and Content-Based Multimedia Information Retrieval. He was a faculty of the Computer Engineering Department at Tamkang University in 1986. In 1993 and 1994, he was a part time faculty of the Computer Engineering Department at Santa Clara University. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Aizu, Japan in summer 1999, and a visiting researcher at the Academia Sinica, Taiwan in summer 2001. Dr. Shih received his BS and MS degrees in Computer Engineering from Tamkang University and California State University, Chico, in 1983 and 1985, respectively. He also received his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University in 1993. Dr. Shih has edited many books and published over 250 papers and book chapters, as well as participated in many international academic activities, including the organization of many international conferences and special issues of international journals. He is the founder and co-editor-in-chief of International Journal of Distance Education Technologies ( http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/JDET/), published by Idea Group Publishing, USA. Dr. Shih has received many research awards, including Tamkang University research awards, NSC research awards (National Science Council of Taiwan), and IIAS research award of Germany. He also received many funded research grants from both domestic and international agencies. Dr. Shih has been invited frequently to give keynote/plenary speeches, tutorials, panels, and talks at international conferences and overseas research organizations.