beacon: can digital terrestrial television lead to an inclusive society?

Can Digital Terrestrial Television lead to an inclusive society?

Experiences from the BEACON t-learning pilots in Sao Paulo -Brazil

Helena Bijnens @ Diverse 2 July 2008

EuroPACE ivzw

• European non-profit assocation

of universities, educational organisations

and their networks

• Hosted by the University of Leuven (K.U.Leuven)

• “Fostering collaboration in e-learning”

Interests & Activities

• Innovation

• New Educational

Technologies

• Virtual Mobility

• Quality in e-learning

expert advise, EC projects, networking,

Training, publications, events

Agenda

• BEACON project data – partnership – aims

• The combination of DTT and eLearning – advantages

• Conditions for success

• BEACON status – Where are we now?

• Next steps

• Some pictures

• Challenges of working in Brazil

BEACON Project Data

• BEACON: Brazilian-European Consortium for Digital Terrestrial

Television Services

• Sixth Framework Programme Priority IST (FP6)

• Launch data: 1 January 2007

• Planned duration: 40 months

• Role EuroPACE: pilot evaluation and dissemination

Project Partnership

Aims

• Development of interoperability between the European

(DVB) and the Brazilian (SBTVD) Digital Terrestrial

Television standards

• The definition of a didactic model for distance learning

through digital television, a t-learning methodology

• develop innovative t-learning pilot services for social

inclusion in the State of Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Interoperability

Didactic Model

Social inclusion

Agenda

• BEACON project data – partnership – aims

• The combination of DTT and eLearning – advantages

• Conditions for success

• BEACON status – Where are we now?

• Next steps

• Some pictures ...

Why combining Digital Terrestrial Television with Learning?

Advantages: Technology

• Everything is available

• No traffic or bandwidth limitations

• Interactivity

Advantages: Accessibility

• Brazil: 95% households – TV

20% households – PC and Internet

• DTT = enhancement of existing TV sets

• Low cost

• Familiarity with the technology – No ICT skills needed!

Widest possible audience through t-learning

Advantages: Learning

• Training possibilities for the “have-nots”

• Government services directly to the home

“e-government”

Agenda

• BEACON project data – partnership – aims

• The combination of DTT and eLearning – advantages

• Conditions for success

• BEACON status – Where are we now?

• Next steps

• Some pictures ...

Succes ~ Effectiveness & Reliability

• Consumer devices ( Set-Top Box) affordable and easy-to-use

• Technology ready

• Appropriate didactic model:

~ Domestic environment: Design and content fit the way people learn

at home?

~ Limitations of the medium

~ Target group characteristics

Success ~ interoperability

• If interoperability between the different standards for DTT

worldwide then

• Deeper market penetration

• Adequate Return on Investment

More production of content

Agenda

• BEACON project data – partnership – aims

• The combination of DTT and eLearning – advantages

• Conditions for success

• BEACON status – Where are we now?

• Next steps

• Some pictures ...

Status: Where are we now?

• Definition of target groups

• User needs analysis - Guidelines for the design of t-learning

• DTT service centre installation

• Platform design and development

Definition of target groups

• higher education school students -Sao Paulo area

• Teachers of people with special needs -Paraiba

area

Guidelines for designing t-learning services

User Needs Analysis and Context Analysis:

• Interactivity such as simulations, exercises, self-evaluation.

• User interface

• Remote controll menu options

• Text editing

• Accessible language

• Speed of content

• Modularity of content

• Tutoring model: motivational aspect, guidance, support mechanisms

Design of common user interface- Course access

DTT Service Centre Installation

• Service centre system installation (Generation and Transmission

Centres) aimed at designing, developing and broadcasting of t-

learning service in the state of Sao Paulo (Brazil)

• infrastructure, telecommunications, hardware, basic software

• complementary set up of digital radio system, RF filters, combinator

and antenna

Service Centre – General Architecture

Transmission Centre

Modulator, Up converter and HPA (Digital

Transmitter) installed and running.

Transmission Centre

Multi Channel Hi Power RF Combiner – final adjusts

Transmission Centre

Antenna system installation – Critical lifting activities.

Transmission CentreDigital antenna system installed and running in Paulista

Avenue Tower – Sao Paulo

Transmission CentreSpectrum Analyser showing the real output from Fatima Foundation – BEACON – DTV channel (47 UHF) strictly under Brazilian frequency

standards and governmental radio interference limits

Generation CentreGeneral view after installing BEACON servers

Generation CentreBEACON DTV Multiplexer and Carousel Console Configuration Screen

Generation CentreBEACON DTV audio and video player console – playlist control screen

Generation Centre

Digital radio Link rack

to connect the Generation Centre with Transmission Centre.

Agenda

• BEACON project data – partnership – aims

• The combination of DTT and eLearning – advantages

• Conditions for success

• BEACON status – Where are we now?

• Next steps

• Some pictures ...

Next steps

• Interoperability aspect of the platform design ...

• Pilot evaluation

• Establishment of Brazilian-European Consortium on DTT

• Dissemination and exploitation, focussed on government

Platform Design and Development

• interoperability for Digital Terrestrial Televison between Europe

(DVB-MHP) and Brasil (ISDTV-T) through a GEM-based solution

(Globally Executable MHP).

Interoperability has not been reached yet! Brazilian government may

not adopt GEM ...

Pilot evaluation – Target Groups

• tLearning pilot 1: training for the Vestibular ( in the State of Sao

Paulo)

• tLearning pilot 2 : Training for teachers involved with people with

special needs (i.e. disability) (in Paraiba)

According to “user-centered design approach”

Pilot Evaluation – Approach

1. Usability Testing

“measuring how well a sample group of future users can use

the prototypes of the designed t-learning services.”

2. Instructional Design Evaluation

“measuring how well the materials, in this case vestibular

through iDTV, achieve the desired goals of instruction.”

Challenges of working in Brazil...

• Government

• Customs – equipment being held due to wrong documentation ...

• Communication

• Dress code

• Meeting behaviour

• Transport to work

More information - website

www.beacon-dtt.com

Helena Bijnens

EuroPACE ivzw

Kapeldreef 62

B-3001 Heverlee

Belgium, Europe

Email:helena.bijnens@europace.be

Website: http://www.europace.org