DTVI Experiment: Structure

Learning Methodologies

There are three methodologies used in the experiment:

• The first, Distributed Tutored Video Instruction (DTVI) consists of up to seven students and a facilitator at individual, separated computer stations. Each member of the group views a videotaped lecture and uses the computer based video and audio to interact with one another.
  
• The second method, Tutored Video Instruction (TVI), uses the same small group interaction with the videotaped lecture to learn the material. However, the TVI group members are physically in the same room, so there is no computer mediated interaction.
  
• A third group relies on a conventional classroom lecture.

Research Plan

The research for this project was conducted in conjunction with SERA Learning Technologies of Palo Alto. Sun also collaborated with the California State University, Chico and Cal Poly University at San Luis Obispo. Sun provided overall project management for the research as well as the provisioning of the various learning centers with the appropriate hardware and software. SERA provided the research design, student interface design for the non-Kansas version of DTVI and experiment management for the project. The universities provided course content, facilities, facilitators, faculty, and most importantly, students to participate in the experiments.

Methodology

Most of the work was based on a simulated version of the Kansas environment: the DTVI experiment made use of a "Brady Bunch" array of video windows, including one panel for a facilitator and one panel for a video-based lecture. The figure at right shows this array with the group facilitator and video lecture filling the two lower right panels. All the students can see each other and hear each other and all students can talk to the facilitator who controls the playing of the video lecture.

In the Kansas based DTVI system, the facilitator can slide their viewport over to a system configuration area that allows him or her to control volumes, student input, and video feeds.

The Kansas environment was also used in a separate "Enhanced DTVI" experiment that enabled the students to share notes.