Common Knowledge: Pittsburgh
Common Knowledge: Pittsburgh
Previous investigations with LADS lines (low-cost unconditioned copper from Bell Atlantic) have shown us that HDSL technology allows for inexpensive connectivity to locally-clustered sites. We have elected to use this technology to nearly double the number of sites for which we will be able to provide high-bandwidth connections. This will enable us to provide high-bandwidth connectivity for both the four schools with a foreign language emphasis that were targeted in the initial proposal but also another four schools. The list of affected sites and proposed technologies is as follows:
The Schenley High School link was functional throughout this quarter, verifying a high level of reliability for this technology. This is noteworthy for two reasons. First of all, the monthly charges for a LADS line are $60, or 1/10 the typical rate for a leased T1 line. Secondly, LADS lines are sold on an "as is" basis, with no guarantee of reliable data transport at speeds above 19.2 kilobits per second. Our trial at Schenley shows that HDSL technology is capable of providing reliable data links over older copper links at much higher speeds.
There are limits to the applicability of this technology. An attempt to use the same technology over a longer link failed, and we are looking to newer versions of the HDSL equipment which should be able to provide fractional T1 service (384 kilobits per second) over distances nearly double those for which the current equipment is applicable.
TCI has begun the tedious process of tuning up their line to Carrick High School. This site has been chosen as the first one to try, since it represents the longest run that will have to be made. There are approximately 25 amplifier stages along the line from downtown Pittsburgh (site of TCI's head end) to Carrick, and adjustments must be made at each amplifier to enable a reverse feed from Carrick. When the tuning process is complete in January of 1995, ChannelWorks hardware will be installed on the cable system, and data service will be enabled.
Fifteen network-ready user devices were installed to support the educational activities at Schenley High School. These devices replaced Tandy 1000's which Common Knowledge had retrofitted as network clients in an experiment to test the usefulness of older equipment in the Internet environment. This experiment was carried out in the first year of Common Knowledge activity at Schenley (the 1993- 1994 academic year). While it was possible to use the older equipment for Internet access, the setup was necessarily cumbersome and inflexible, and the level of support required to keep it in operation was judged to be prohibitively expensive. The new equipment allowed a significant expansion of the use of network resources in the foreign language programs at Schenley. New applications included a client-based mail reader, net news and the World Wide Web.
A survey was made of computing facilities at Hill House, and plans were outlined for connecting both the public access site and the rest of Hill House's computers to the Internet. Dialup connectivity was established at the public access site.
Initial plans for seed site activity at the six middle and elementary schools in the Hill District were discussed by the Common Knowledge education staff. Basic connectivity was to be provided for these sites via a computer with a dialup link. An attached printer was to be provided for each of these sites to facilitate student use.
This was a period of learning and experimentation: learning what was on the World Wide Web, examining the underlying structure of various Web pages and learning to use the hypertext markup language with which these pages are prepared. This period also served as a time for experimentation with the scanning of images and their manipulation on the computer.
Once a level of competency had been established, Chad began to create online materials starting with a personal homepage. This allowed for experimentation with links, thumbnails, etc. and the development of a repertoire of tags and attributes which would be useful for preparing the larger online exhibit that was planned. This initial activity was all carried out in the local PC enivronment.
During the month of October Chad worked with the head of the Pennsylvania collection, Marilyn Holt, to select photographs for the exhibit. An initial set of 570 photographs was chosen, and work commenced on organizing online versions of these photographs for specific neighborhoods around the city.
Several lessons began to emerge from this work:
Because of the strategic importance of this collaboration there has been a continuing effort to maintain its vitality, with regular formal and informal meetings involving members of the collaboration and with other related groups around the region. These activities will be more organized and more extensive when the project's Outreach Coordinator begins work in January, 1995.
The other staff position filled in the present quarter was a graduate student who will serve as the main data gatherer for the assessment portion of the project. After an intensive search for a person with a background in technology and experience in the necessary methods of qualitative research, we selected Katherine Yasin, a student in instructional technology at the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. She will be working at project sites in the upcoming quarters.