MACS

1
Modular Advanced Collaboration System A
Framework for Collaborative Applications
Outline Motivation Aims Structure
Components Status Contact
2
Motivation

• strong demand on CSCW
• group work, e.g., software development
• distance learning, e.g., universities
• lifelong learning, e.g., in companies
• current systems
• not sufficient control
• not easy to use
• not portable

3
Aims

• framework for collaborative applications
• modular / flexible / extensible
• multiple applications / independent of content
• ease of use
• advanced GUI
• enhanced floor-passing mechanisms
• portable
• Java based
• interworking
• uses standard protocols
• MBone
• SAP / SDP / SIP
• ITU
• H.323 / T.120 / LDAP

4
Structure

• 4 horizontal layers
• variable number of applications

5
Control

• control levels
• system (access to microphone, speakers, camera,
  ...)
• session (user invite, session moderation, ...)
• users (access to slides in whiteboard, ...)
• different session types
• open (without access control)
• moderated (with access control)
• ...
• different access strategies
• open (anyone can speak at any time)
• agenda (predetermined order)
• round robin (by demand in dynamic order)
• ...

6
Applications

• whiteboard
• full featured drawing
• e.g., object selection
• tele-pointer / tele-marker
• graphics and postscript
• object (access) control

• audio video
• whiteboard
• motivated by experience from lectures in 97 98
• chat
• development tool TelSEE

7
TelSEE

• CASE tool for distributed software development
• support for users distributed in time and/or
  space
• synchronous and asynchronous work modes
• features
• real distributed/concurrent work on objects
• high interactivity
• private views
• platform independent
• multicast communication architecture
• extensible

8
TelSEE
9
Session List

• MACS session list
• MACS sessions
• MBone sessions

10
Users List

• MACS user list
• MACS user
• NetMeeting users (via LDAP from a ILS)

11
Seminar

• seminar scenario
• few participants (ca. 10)
• equal rights, moderator optional

12
Classroom

• possible implementation
• class represented as one entity
• student steps in front of class
• advantages
• high scalability
• easy to realize
• disadvantages
• little feedback for teacher
• further visualizations being investigated

13
Status Contact

• status
• demo release V0.3
• classroom scenario under construction
• TelSEE included
• next steps
• further integration of floor control
• a release with classroom scenario
• test in seminar between Braunschweig and Hannover
• further info
• flyer
• MACS http//macs.ibr.cs.tu-bs.de
• To/oL http//www.tu-bs.de/afh/albrecht/tool/