All a student really needs to attend an Avacaster'd class is a computer with an Internet connection. Broadband connectivity is preferable, of course, but not necessary. (21st Century Cyber School estimates that 40% of their students this year will still be dialing up.) Based on Macromedia's Shockwave technology (www.macromedia.com), the Avacaster Player runs right in the student's Web browser, and runs the same on Windows PCs or Macintosh computers. No additional software is required beyond the Shockwave plug-in, a ubiquitous, free download that many users already have installed. Students launch their web browser, log onto the web site where their class is to take place, and they're in class.
Avacaster supports all three major video streaming technologies: Microsoft Windows Media Player, Real Networks Real Media, and Apple QuickTime. Performance issues aside, this flexibility can translate into genuine cost savings, as well. 21st Century Cyber School, for example, uses QuickTime because they already had a QuickTime server in place, thus eliminating the need to purchase another video streaming server.
Alongside the video is another window for graphics. This is where the visual aids for the class appear, whether they are photos or illustrations, graphs and charts, whatever. Thanks to Shockwave, this area also supports user interaction, thus enabling multiple-choice quizzes and polling.
Quizzes and polls notwithstanding, chat is the primary vehicle for class participation. An open chat area enables students to ask questions, respond to questions, and talk to each other. This text appears in a scrolling window, and everyone can see it. Students can also address the teacher via a separate question button. In the event that private interaction is necessary, a "whisper" feature enables one-to-one chat without the rest of the class seeing it.
FACULTY LOUNGE
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
