ABSTRACT

Increasing numbers of instructors teach using slides displayed with a computer and a data projector. This has many advantages, e.g., ability to present prepared materials and ease of switching the display to other computer applications or web pages during mid-presentation. However, existing computer-based presentation systems severely limit flexibility in delivery, hindering instructors' extemporaneous adaptation of their presentations to match their audiences. One major limitation of computer- based systems is lack of support for high-quality handwriting over slides, as with overhead projectors and other manual presentation systems. In this talk we discuss and demonstrate Classroom Presenter, a Tablet PC-based presentation system that (1) combines the advantages of existing computer- based and manual presentation systems and (2) builds on these systems, introducing novel affordances. Classroom presenter has been used in at least 100 courses at a variety of universities. We will summarize what we have learned about how instructors have used digital ink while delivering lectures. Understanding actual usage is important both for improving ink based pedagogy, and for informing the development of applications for analyzing archived lectures. Biography: Richard Anderson is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics from Reed College in 1981, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University in 1985. He joined the University of Washington in 1986, after a one-year Postdoc at the Mathematical Science Research Institute in Berkeley, CA. In 1987 he received an NSF Presidential Young Investigator award. He spent the 1993-1994 academic year as a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Science, in Bangalore, India, and the 2001-2002 academic year a visiting researcher in the Learning Sciences and Technology group at Microsoft Research. While at Microsoft, he led the development of Classroom Presenter, a tool for delivering presentations from the TabletPC. Richard Anderson's main research interests are in Educational Technology and Computer Science Education. He is particularly interested in using technology to improve the classroom environment, and in educational applications of the Tablet PC. Previously, he has worked in the theory and implementation of algorithms, including parallel algorithms, computational geometry, and scientific applications. He has also worked on applying model checking to the formal verification of software sytems and has collaborated with Astrophysicists on N-Body simulation. He was a founder of the department's Professional Master's Program and led the effort to export the department's introductory programming courses using Tutored Video Instruction. Refreshments will be served in the Lounge (Room 224) at 3:00 p.m. Other Recent and Upcoming Colloquia