Merlot session notes: Long Distance Collaborations - Connecting to build an Open-Source Authoring Tool
- Lou Zweier does intros
- Larry Johnson - NMC
- Mike Mattson, U of C
- Kathleen Willbanks - Cal State U.
- Larry
- SFMOMA introduced NMC to Pachyderm - a tool to create "visitor experiences"
- Making Sense of Modern Art
- www.sfmoma.org --> Search "Making Sense"
- flash interface generated by Pachyderm authoring tool, from database on back end (learning objects...)
- interface to show details, relationships, timelines, history, in a way that answers questions
- streaming QT video pops up in new window from flash interface (not played embedded)
- Pachyderm based on templates, letting curators to pull content from SFMOMA collection and combine it in a curatorial approach to create presentations
- template used to compare/contrast learning objects (example: brushstroke techniques of 2 painters, but could be extended to be applied to any topic)
- Demo of a few templates, content areas. Pachyderm does a great job of creating rich sets of learning objects!
- Kathleen
- need to forge partnerships - we can't all do this alone
- communication is key (f2f and online)
- project management important - facilitate stuff
- using www.opensource.org for collaborative project management software
- build on strengths of each partner (individuals and institutions)
- used online collaboration to make f2f more effective (get memorization of names out of the way... ;-)
- Mike
- Presentation is important
- has a personal hate for current state of LMS - presentation isn't flexible, not rich.
- interface innovation not as common now as in the "early days of multimedia"
- we're stuck with "weapons of mass instruction" now
- must be a better way
- Pachyderm, tied in with standard tools (like EduSource is building) may be a solution
- Presentation is important
- Larry
- Partners, roles, etc... Big project. Big. BIG.
- 15 people on steering team
- several hundred participants in total
- Open to Q & A, Discussion
- authoring tool info available at http://www.nmc.org --> search "Pachyderm" --> first link on top of page
- How to modify software and templates?
- Pachyderm 1.0 --> can't do this. 2.0 will have this as a goal
- Lou: an API or plugin system to allow addition of templates
- probably not a built-in template building interface
- Is there a way/templates for learning activities (as opposed to just media presentation?)
- pedagogical templates, stuff for activities (how to engage students in an activity WITH the content - quiz templates, matching items templates...)
- Target client? technology...
- is it flash, or thin client
- answer: flash, because of a few reasons
- works on several platforms (web, kiosk, desktop)
- high quality display
- some rudimentary copy protection
- rich environment
- Timeline for people to start having access to Pachyderm 2.0?
- problem is the project is rather open-ended, but we're going as fast as we can.
- End users?
- Aimed at instructors AND students
- way for everyone to create/aggregate sets of learning objects - VERY IMPORTANT to be able to push resources back into the system, not just a top-down dump of resources onto learners