Although video-conferencing and distance-learning have been available for some years, CUNY recently completed a field trial of a new level of technical support for these activities called 'Switched Wideband Service' (SWS). In every-day terms, SWS is a technology that allows one to dial up for service at a requested bandwidth, similar in some ways to calling one's cable company to order a movie to be sent via cable to one's home.
CUNY participated in this trial, which was jointly sponsored by NYNEX and Northern Telecomm during the Spring 1993 semester. Using equipment provided by Compression Labs, Inc., the trial was conducted at four sites throughout the University: City College, York College, East 80th Street, and West 57th Street. Participants in a conference or class could dial from any one of the four locations to any other one to establish a link. CUNY's interest in the technology was in two primary areas: administrative and instructional.
Academic Applications
The major distance-learning project involved faculty and students in the Sophie Davis School for Biomedical Education, a program housed primarily at the CCNY campus with a satellite site at York College. A number of courses and tutorials employing distance learning components were conducted during the semester from the CCNY site, involving students at both CCNY and York. In addition to traditional lecture material, various instructional technologies were utilized, including computer-based materials that integrate CD/ROM, slides, and video tape-based information.
Special attention was paid during this project to the pedagogical and student support requirements this new approach to the delivery of instructional services brings with it. The ability to request varying bandwidths was important in the context of these applications, each of which placed different demands upon the system.
Administrative Applications
Most video conferencing applications took place between West 57th Street and East 80th Street, for regularly scheduled meetings of staff who were located at both sites. In addition, various cross-campus councils and committees were encouraged to schedule spring '93 meetings as video-conferencing opportunities. Among the groups that participated were the councils of CUNY administrative data processing directors, academic computing directors, campus liaison officers, instructional media directors, and chief librarians.
Integrating both IBM and Apple equipment into the video conferencing configurations, a number of existing microcomputer and mainframe applications were tested in the SWS environment. Among them were multimedia courseware modules developed by CUNY faculty which employ interactive voice, data and video components; access to the university's mainframe-based student registration system; remote logon to CUNY+; and Internet access and navigation. In these situations, the ability to request varying amounts of bandwidth was once again important and underlined the benefits of this technology.
Future Directions
Much was learned about the technology, including the fact that there is a long way to go before it is at a steady state! CUNY is currently investigating equipment from vendors other than those who supplied components for this trial. Learning what bandwidth would adequately support what application was an important part of the trial.
We are now in the planning stage for participation in a number of projects that will cross state boundaries (interesting from the point of view of NYNEX and other regional operating systems who will need to establish tariff rates for such service) with Universities in both the midwestern and southwestern parts of the country. Finally, the feasibility of using this technology at CUNY more comprehensively, whether in a dial-up or leased-line mode, will continue to be evaluated.
-- by Dean Michael Ribaudo