UNIV ??? Learning by Doing with Internet2 Syllabus

General Information

Course Description

Internet2 is an advanced networking infrastructure with capabilities like video conferencing, remote access to specialized devices, or using very large data sets not available locally. The purpose of this class is to use the Internet2 infrastructure and related advanced technology to explore their potential for teaching and learning across disciplines. The Internet2 Consortium comprises over 200 universities and research institutions, in partnership with industry and government agencies. Its primary goals are to provide an advanced infrastructure for the research and education communities, to enable novel Internet applications, and to disseminate new network services and applications.

Prerequisites

At least Sophomore standing, or consent of the instructor; basic computer skills (word processing, Internet and WWW usage). The course does not require any knowledge of computer networking.

Goals and Objectives

• provide information on the history, technology, and applications of Internet2 and similar advanced networking infrastructures
• enhance the visibility of applications and projects that utilize Internet2 capabilities at Cal Poly, the Cal State system, and other institutions
• explore Internet2 services and capabilities such as videoconferencing, video streaming, tele-collaboration, tele-immersion, or utilization of remote devices and facilities
• expose students to practical tasks in various disciplines through laboratory exercises and term projects
• gather practical experience with the use of such tools in interdisciplinary, geographically distributed, and culturally diverse groups
• encourage students and faculty at Cal Poly to utilize Internet2 services for their studies and work

Learning Outcomes

More specifically, after successfull completion of the course, participants should

• understand the basic architecture and the relevant technologies utilized in Internet2
• be familiar with the main services offered through Internet2
• know about practical applications that utilize Internet2
• be familiar with the opportunities and problems involved in interdisciplinary and distributed collaboration
• have practical experience with some Internet2 services or applications
• understand the main technological, practical, and cultural limitations of Internet2
• have a sound basis for the use of Internet2 services in their own work

Topics

A tentative list of topics is given in the course schedule. To some degree, it may have to be modified depending on the availability of the guest speakers and facilities.

Course Organisation

The course will consist of four core parts:

• lectures presented by guest speakers from Cal Poly and from outside institutions,
• practical lab exercises and term projects conducted by student teams,
• presentations by students, and
• demonstrations of services and technologies.

During most class periods, a guest speaker will give a presentation on a topic relevant to Internet2. Most of the guest lectures will be given via teleconferencing or video streaming services of Internet2.

Students will give individual and group presentations, or demonstrations on selected topics, ideally related to the topic of the guest lecture. A team of students will be responsible for hosting each guest speaker, and possibly arranging collaboration activities with remote participants, such as students from the guest speaker's institution. These responsibilities include help with practical arrangements (equipment setup, transportation, coordination of after-talk activities, introduction of the speaker, moderation of the discussion session, etc.), some research into the topic to be presented by the speaker, and the preparation of a report on the presentation.

Textbooks

There are no regular textbooks available for this course. Handouts will be made available in collaboration with the guest speakers. There is a significant amount of online material relevant to the course topic, available through the Learning Commons, Research Channel, , and other repositories.

Additional Material

Further material will be made available in collaboration with the guest speakers through handouts in class, and through pointers to relevant Web pages.

Two starting points for additional material on the Web are the Internet2 Consortium and the Cal Poly Internet2 Web page.

Term Projects

Students will work on an interdisciplinary group project related to Internet2 in teams of about three to five students. Topics can range from infrastructure aspects of Internet2 (technologies, performance, protocols) to applications that can benefit from Internet2 (video conferencing, video streaming, remote instrumentation and control, etc.). The projects must be of an interdisciplinary nature, involving students from different disciplines. These projects should have some practical aspects to it, such as the demonstration of an application for a particular discipline, or the performance evaluation of an Internet2 technology with respect to activities typical for one or more disciplines. As far as possible, the teams will conduct some of their work in collaboration with non-local, possibly international participants.

Faculty and students from all disciplines are encouraged to contact the organizers with their own ideas for such projects.

Follow this link to a list of possible project topics and contact persons.

Course Administration

Blackboard will be used for some administrative aspects of this class, such as distribution and submission of assignments, and for grading. Students are expected to have a valid account on the Blackboard system. If you do not have one yet, contact Cal Poly's Information Technology Services (ITS) department. Their help desk is in Building 14, downstairs.

Grading Policy

The table gives an overview of the calculation of the grades. We reserve the right, however, to change the formula used. Some assignments, lab exercises, and the term project will be done in teams, and the performance of the team as a whole will be graded unless there is a clear disparity in the contribution of the individual team members. Should this be the case, we may ask for additional documentation like work sheets, email messages, or draft copies of documentats to evaluate individual contributions.