JISC

Start date: 1 September 1996

End date: 31 March 1999

Funding programme: JISC Technologies Application (JTAP) programme

Project website: http://www.aber.ac.uk/~dcswww/Telematics/NEAT//

Communication between remote sources of expertise (teachers and advisers) and those who need to access this expertise is an important part of distance learning. The NEAT project will create, disseminate, and evaluate an easy to use system for such interaction through the Internet. The proposed system emphasises support for the process as well as the actual communication involved in remote advising, and provides a number of possible modes of interaction: speech, vision, shared workspaces, remote screen viewing and text.

The approach is highly pragmatic; the system will be built on existing technology and tools. Aberystwyth's existing 'Remote Advisory Service' has already demonstrated the feasibility of the application and the underlying technology.

Being built on standard Internet protocols, and versatile in its bandwidth needs, the system will operate over a wide variety of physical network topologies. Users without access to JANET could connect by ISDN or possibly even over analogue dial-up lines (via an Internet provider, or another nearby JANET site).

The partners provide a representative cross-section of Higher Education applications, and all have expertise in providing educational material via computing media and in assessing the pedagogical quality and effectiveness of this delivery. The consortium is thus well placed to deliver the benefits identified below, and also to conduct the proposed evaluation.