Emerging Technologies

CIRT was created to envision, explore, design, and evaluate new and emerging technologies to support teaching, research, and student learning. CIRT supports a Digital Sandbox which serves as a test bed for various projects. CIRT has already become actively involved in executing its mission. Ideas for new technologies to explore come from all across campus, with most coming from the desire to find solutions to meet faculty needs.

Contact

Please contact Pei-Yi.Hu, Associate Director,  at Pei-Yi.Hu@indstate.edu regarding your technology needs.

Current Projects

Grassroot Video

As video sharing sites continue to grow at some of the most prodigious rates on the internet it is obvious that virtually any one can capture and edit and share short video clips using inexpensive equipments. Emerging technology group identifies and suggests to the faculty and staff such video editing equipments that can be used literally by anyone. This helps the faculty share video content with their students using the streaming facilities available at ISU.

Virtual Worlds (Croquet)

Croquet is a powerful new open source software development environment and software infrastructure for creating and deploying deeply collaborative multi-user online applications and metaverses on and across multiple operating systems and devices. Using one of 3D model the Emerging Technology team was able to incorporate and simulate the virtual environment.

Data Mashups (Google Earth)

CIRT is currently working with a number of faculty on various applications which "plug-in" to Google Earth to create a "Data Mashup".  These mashups are combinations of data from several different sources.  Google's Mashup Editor (http://code.google.com/gme/) is the current tool used to assist faculty in grabbing online data, organizing it, and displaying it in the way the faculty member wants to use or interact with the data.

Classroom Management Software

Emerging technology Research and Support team identified various classroom management software to enable effective teaching. Teamspot and SynchronEyes were among the few that has been identified and tested with our research specialists. Teamspot is the cross-platform digital infrastructure that powers learning spaces with advance team collaboration capabilities. Whereas, SynchronEyes is a classroom management software that connects a teacher’s computer with every computer in a networked classroom. This enables the teacher to keep the students focused on learning and redirect their attention if they off track.

Mobile and Pervasive Computing Tools

CIRT has tested small and potentially portable devices, sensors, and actuators to offer alternative pedagogies for faculty. The research in using such devices enables the Emerging Technology team to vision and discuss new ideas and better support pervasive computing.

Centralized Storage for Digital Video Editing

Avid Xpress Pro is a video editing software suite that offers portable, professional film and video editing with an unmatched range of advanced features and functionality. The software allows editing of multiple sources simultaneously, one-touch color correction, image stabilization, real-time pan and zoom, and custom music creation tools. Avid supports a wide range of export formats, including native Windows Media 9, MPEG 2, and Macromedia Flash. Avid allows students to create quality video to complete course and e-portfolio requirements. Additionally, an Avid Mojo unit allows users to digitally convert analog audio and video sources in real-time, the unit is portable and connects via a single FireWire cable to PC or MAC. Avid Mojo is compact enough to take on location yet powerful enough to serve as the core of a video-editing suite. CIRT recently installed an Avid LANshare system to enhance video storage capabilities. Avid LANShare enables offline to online workflow via gigabit ethernet. This system will allow students and faculty to capture, access, and share raw video and projects anywhere on campus from a centralized server. Based on the present progress this Avid solution will be available to students as the University standard for non-linear video editing.

HD Video Encoding and Streaming

CIRT is currently working with several faculty members on campus to develop a standard for the University in the area of HD video encoding and streaming. Several video capture cards are being tested to digitally encode and stream faculty lectures for both remote delivery (distance education) and online viewing. The Windows Media encoding / viewing software is currently being tested and will likely be recommended as the University standard.

Tools for Handhelds

Through grant activities ISU is providing handheld computers to every faculty member in its College of Education. In addition, a substantial pool of handheld computers has been created for faculty to use with students in the classroom. What started as a small pilot program two years ago has grown into a project that is challenging the way faculty are thinking about technology and its application in the teaching and learning process. This initiative also provides an opportunity for faculty and administration to think about classroom assessment in new ways using the handheld computer. Currently CIRT is working with a number of faculty members on tools for handhelds to improve productivity and enhance student learning. The graphic below provides an overview of some of the tools currently being tested and piloted.

Several handheld technologies currently under review.

Visualization Initiative

CIRT is working to create an interdisciplinary research laboratory that combines computer generated art and computer science, specifically concerning stereo visualization technologies, high speed networking, and virtual reality.

What Is Visualization?

visualization example

Visualization by definition is "the two or three dimensional graphical representation of data, patterns within data, or knowledge based on analysis of data patterns." In the broadest sense, visualization is the art or scienceof transforming information into something comprehensible by the sense of sight. Visualization is important because the vision-to-brain system is the fastest way humans can absorb and process large amounts of meaningful information.

Historically, visualization was separated into two categories.

The advent of computers, which record both image and non-image data as bits, allows the creation of visual representations of any type of data.

Stereoscopic displays allow users to intrinsically investigate 3D data or 3D representations of multidimensional data. Additionally, 3D models are used illustrate concepts more realistically than 2D diagrams.

Visualization at CIRT

CIRT will provide access to state of the art visualization facilities, hardware and software support, and prototype and assist in the deployment of visualizations systems for Indiana State University faculty and students.

Micheal Moore, Coordinator, Center for Visualization, may be reached at x2295 or michael.moore@indstate.edu.