FORM 1: HIGHER EDUCATION COVER PAGE

FORM 1: HIGHER EDUCATION COVER PAGE

NAME OF INSTITUTION: The University of Texas at Austin

Name of Contact Person: Dr. Thomas F. Edgar

Title of Contact Person: Associate Vice President

Mailing Address: Academic Computing and Instructional Technology

Services

Computation Center Building

Austin, Texas 78712

Telephone Number: (512) 475-9300 Fax Number: (512) 475-9282

E-Mail Address: [email protected]

Federal Tax ID#: 74-6000203County Name: Travis

State Senator: Gonzalo Barrientos State Rep.: Elliott Naishtat

TOTAL TIFB FUNDS RQUESTED $759,151

TOTAL LOCAL FUNDS FOR PROJECT $76,000

If applicable, NAME OF COLLABORATIVE IN WHICH YOUR INSTITUTION IS

PARTICIPATING:

Date: _________________________

Signature of Authorized Official

Printed Name and Title

Wayne K. Kuenstler, Director, Office of Sponsored Projects

1TIFB Form/ Project Timeline (1/98)

mailto:[email protected]

FORM 3: DESIGNATION OF GRANT OFFCIALS

PROJECT DIRECTOR

Name: Dr. Thomas F. Edgar

Title: Associate Vice President

Organization Name: The University of Texas at AustinAcademic Computing and Instructional Technology Services

Mailing Address: Computation Center Bldg., Austin, Texas 78712

Telephone: (512) 475-9300 Fax #: (512) 475-9282

E-mail Address: [email protected]

Signature: ______________________________ Date: _________________

FINANCIAL OFFICER

Name: Louis Chavarria

Title: Manager, Contracts and Grant

Organization Name: The University of Texas at Austin

Mailing Address: Mail Bldg, Room 316, Austin, Texas 78712

Telephone: (512) 232-6541 Fax #: ((512) 471-8613


Signature: ______________________________ Date: _________________AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL

Name: Wayne K. Kuenstler

Title: Director, Office of Sponsored Projects

Organization Name: The University of Texas at Austin

Mailing Address: Mail Bldg, Room 302, Austin, Texas 78712

Telephone: (512) 471-6424 Fax #: ((512) 471-6564


Signature: ______________________________ Date: _________________


mailto:[email protected]

FORM 4: CERTIFIED ASSURANCES

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FORM 5: TABLE OF CONTENTS (one page)

e-Learning through Enhanced Access to Distance Education Resources (e-LEADER)

Form 1: Higher Education Cover Page 1

Form 3: Designation of Grant Officials 2

Form 4: Certified Assurances 3

Form 5: Table of Contents 6

Form 6: Narrative Abstract 7

Form 7: Vision Statement & Introduction to Narrative 9

Form 8: Needs Assessment 13

Form 9: Statement of Existing Conditions 16

Form 10: Project Objectives & Methods 19

Form 11: System, Infrastructure, and Network 29

Form 15: Sustainability/Security Funding 41

Form 16: Project Timeline 44

Form 17: Evaluation Plan 48

Form 18: Budget Plan 51

Form 19: Budget Summary 52

Schedule A: Personnel 53

Justification Attachment 54

Schedule B: Contractual Services 55

Schedule C: Travel 56

Schedule D: Supplies and Materials 57

Schedule E: Equipment/Fixed Assets 58

Justification Attachment 59

Form 25: Application Checklist (See Appendix B) 61

Appendix C: Resume of Project Participants 62


FORM 6: NARRATIVE ABSTRACT

The abstract is a summary of the project and should mention the problem or need being addressed, the proposed activities, and the intended outcomes. The abstract must contain: a statement of goals, purpose and objectives; and a brief description of expected results.

Applicant Name: The University of Texas at Austin

Amount Requested: $759,151 Total Project Cost: $835,151


The University of Texas at Austin, the flagship higher education institution in the state, faces a

complex and growing set of challenges as it continues to provide outstanding teaching, learning and

research environment for the citizens of Texas. The continued population increase and economic growth

in Texas are imperatives for UT Austin to provide leadership in demonstrating effective methods for

using technology to increase academic productivity and enhance learning opportunities for students, and

to expand the course delivery system beyond that of the traditional classroom. To be successful, those

methods must be efficient in the use of human and capital resources as well as simple to establish,

replicate and maintain.

The primary project goal is to achieve, through several pilot courses at UT Austin, an improved

e-learning and distance format and process that derives directly from activities in residential classes. A

second goal is to deliver e-learning and distance education in an efficient and effective way that uses

advanced server and network technology, and at the same time keeps development, delivery and support

costs low. A third goal is to make the content easily accessible to the student and easy to generate for the

instructor, again while minimizing costs. Finally, a fourth goal is to create and maintain a suitable

training and reference service to enable students and faculty to use the information technology tools and

access the information resources essential to success in harnessing the enormous potential of e-learning

and distance education.

UT Austin's vision of its future recognizes that e-learning provides the opportunity, through

interactivity, visual images and sound, to enable active learning to transcend distance. Media streaming

technology has reached a stage where it can be readily incorporated into web-based courses and to

improve student cognition through audio/video interactions with the instructor. It can also convey more

elements of a classroom learning experience, via instructor videos. In this project UT Austin plans a

major upgrade of its content development, delivery, and student system for e-learning, whether local or at

a distance. An essential element of this system is the server and telecommunications infrastructure that

will be required to support substantially larger volumes of video information. We are requesting funding

to upgrade our infrastructure so that we can deliver educational content to the 50,000 UT Austin students

on and off-campus as well as to other interested institutions throughout the UT System and the state of

Texas. Additionally, funds for digital video production hardware and software are requested in order to



speed video processing and greatly increase both the quality and quantity of video in several pilot courses

and programs.

The model identified as most applicable to the UT Austin's e-learning and distance goals uses

asynchronous access and the Internet to create an innovative, highly interactive learning experience

focused on easy access to content and computer facilitated communication among students and faculty.

Further, this model allows for large-scale implementation, a critical factor in a university environment

with a student population of the size at UT Austin. The plan also aims to provide e-learning, both local

and distance, at low cost, a necessary threshold for achieving anything more than boutique

implementation. The key elements in this model are a standard Web-based template, streaming media of

the instruction, digitized learning materials, and online communication with other students and the class

instructor via group conferencing software.

We propose a basic instructional template that integrates video and text material on the student’s

desktop. That system includes four elements: (1) video and slides (2) lecture outline (e.g., in

PowerPoint), (3) frequently asked questions by students who have already taken the course, and (4) group

e-mail/chat/discussion. The courses will be delivered to learners in two modes: high bandwidth for on-

campus students and low bandwidth for off-campus students.

Our pilot program of courses in Pharmacy, Spanish Language, and Texas Politics will use

streaming media to replace costly videotaping and videoconferencing course delivery techniques. The

project budget requests $759,151 from TIF, with $76,000 in local matching funds and $656,250 of in-

kind resources provided from UT Austin. Although the installation, related research, and assessment of

the project and its initial objectives will occur within the timeframe of the grant reporting specifications,

UT Austin envisions this plan as a permanent cornerstone of the University's goals in delivering distance

education and one that will have a far-reaching and positive effect on the institution's learning

environment. It is anticipated that the successful completion of this project will directly impact the

learning environment and distance education efficient and effective model of providing quality active

learning experiences at a distance for options available to all 50,000 current and future students at UT

Austin and serve as a cost- other institutions across the state.


FORM 7: VISION STATEMENT & INTRODUCTION TO NARRATIVE

Include statement of purpose, goals and philosophy. Clearly establish what entity is applying for funding. Describe the target population, their characteristics; and how many will be affected by the project. Explain how the project serves rural, remote, and underserved populations. Describe how organizations in the community may/will contribute to the project. Indicate whether the proposed project involves a single entity or represents a collaborative effort by more than one organization. Where the project involves more than one organization, explain the roles and responsibilities of each entity relevant to the project. Include mechanisms to promote growth, community involvement, and responsibility for self-containment.


As the flagship higher education institution in Texas, located in one of the nation's premier high-

tech cities, the University of Texas at Austin continues to play a major role in developing the state's

essential knowledge capital through providing an outstanding teaching, learning and research

environment for the citizens of Texas. The population of Texas reached 20 million in 1999 and is

expected to grow to 33.9 million in the next 30 years. During the last decade, Texas led the nation in job

creation, fueled by a powerful broad-based economic engine. A significant factor in the population and

economic growth of the state has been its strong participation in the New Economy, a revolution in high

technology enterprise emerging from the vast knowledge capital of the citizens of the state.

The Internet and the technologies that support it are a significant part of a major revolution in not

only the Texas economy, but in the academic community, including the way in which faculty and

students increasingly engage in teaching and learning experiences. In April 1999, the University of Texas

at Austin, mindful of the continuing evolution of e-learning in the classroom, the increasing demand for

Web-based courses for education at a distance, and the need to define the role of distance education at the

University, convened a Technology Enhanced Learning Committee and charged it to formulate “an

overall framework to help shape the development of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) and distance

learning programs on the campus.” The principles and recommendations of that report articulated that

TEL and distance learning would be a means to enhance the quality of the student’s educational

experience, ensure that student-faculty and student-student interaction is included and that faculty would

be provided with a supportive environment for the development of online course materials.

Today, UT Austin offers many exciting and worthy efforts in e-learning in line with these

principles and recommendations. Numerous faculty are developing multimedia course materials with the

financial and resource support of their deans and the Provost. A $20 million building (Applied

Computation in Engineering and Science, ACES) with state-of-the-art facilities for

using technology in instruction and research was opened in September 2000. The University libraries are

at the forefront of the Internet revolution investing more than a million dollars annually to provide a broad

spectrum of accessible digital content. As individual e-learning and distance projects have evolved,

however, so too has the realization of the significant cost of those efforts measured in human resources,



capital investment, and ongoing operating expenditures. Clearly a new approach will be required if e-

learning is ever intended to achieve more universal status.

With 50,000 students in residence, UT Austin clearly has a significant history of meeting its

teaching responsibility in physical rather than virtual classrooms. Increasingly, faculty develop their own

multimedia teaching materials for use in technology-enhanced traditional classrooms and for sharing with

the residential class through the World Wide Web. Therefore campus-wide implementation of easy to use

classroom multimedia technology and an infrastructure to support the creation, archiving and distribution

of content is seen as a key to effectively leveraging proven teaching approaches to expand UT Austin’s e-

learning and distance opportunities.

The primary project goal is to achieve through several pilot courses at UT Austin an improved

distance education format and process that derives from e-learning activities in residential classes. This

goal, in accordance with the principles and recommendations spelled out in the Technology Enhanced

Learning Committee report, is an essential first step toward developing a more comprehensive collection

of e-learning opportunities, both local and at a distance, for current and future students. A second goal is

to deliver e-learning in an efficient and effective way that uses advanced server and network technology,

and at the same time keeps costs low. Streaming media across the Internet holds great promise for the

delivery of instructional content accessible in an anytime and anyplace mode, especially when the

distribution can incorporate both high and low bandwidth options.

A third goal is to make the content easily accessible to the student and easy to generate for the

instructor, again while minimizing costs. Unless methods can be developed to lower the cost of

producing and distributing quality e-learning and distance courses, institutions will be forced to treat them

as expensive additions rather than essential and innovative learning opportunities for students. Finally, a

fourth goal is to create and maintain a suitable training and reference service to enable students and

faculty to use the information technology tools and access the information resources essential to success

in harnessing the enormous potential of e-learning and distance education. Many students and some

faculty have significant skills in the use of information technology; but experience and skill in the

development, access and use of information resources is much less broadly held. The identical

infrastructure that will be used to develop degree-credit e-learning and distance courses for students will

also be used to deliver a broad portfolio of instructional modules that address Internet knowledge and

skills in areas such as free speech, privacy, and locating and evaluating online information resources.


In exploring its future direction for e-learning, the TEL committee also examined two models,

which have widely differing cost implications. The traditional technological approach, also known as a

broadcast model, requires expensive efforts to create learning materials, simulations, video and involves


staff-intensive efforts to operate technology classrooms and studios. These efforts not only result in

courses that may cost in the range of $100,000 per course, but incur additional costs each time the course

is offered. Broadcast courses, whether delivered over broadband, satellite or other broadcast delivery

systems are place and time bound for faculty and students. Even with Internet delivery, which can reduce

the dependence on place, the synchronous nature of the learning experience continues. For these reasons,

this solution does not hold significant promise for UT Austin.

The model identified as most applicable for the UT Austin e-learning goals uses asynchronous

access and the Internet to create an innovative, highly interactive learning experience focused on easy

access to content and computer facilitated communication among students and faculty. Further, this

model allows for large-scale implementation, a critical factor when the student population is already

sizeable, at low cost, a necessary threshold for achieving anything more than boutique implementations of

e-learning. The key elements in this model are a standard Web-based template, streaming media of the

instructor, digitized learning materials, and online communication with the other students and the

instructor in the class via group conferencing software.

UT Austin envisions an active e-learning environment that includes audio files, digital images or

animations used in class, questions answered by professor via a course chat room or e-mail, links to Web

sites that contain information discussed in lecture, lecture notes, an original archive of

materials/documents referred to in lectures, and exercises designed to test understanding of course

content. One challenge we face in the large-scale use of e-learning is achieving scalable customer support

for faculty and student use of technologically enhanced Web environments. Thus a key element for

successful implementation will be standardizing on straightforward user interfaces as well as the

standardization and design of equipment used to produce and deliver educational content.

The future of scalable, affordable, effective e-learning incorporates a standard format for

developing and delivering asynchronous learning in conjunction with ongoing traditional classes.

The first component captures and records the instructor’s teaching in a classroom through the use of

tracking video equipment similar to what is used in some video conferencing facilities. A second

component lets the faculty member easily incorporate supplemental instructional materials such as

animations, movies, visual and sound files into classroom teaching. The video and supplemental materials

are automatically archived in a central server accessible through a special Web application that has slide


synchronization (e.g., PowerPoint) and interactive chat capability. The approximate cost of producing

this type of course using commercial software is $10,000 per course, and UT Austin proposes to create

technology enhanced classrooms in which to present and capture the content for about $20,000 per

installation.


Further, once courses are produced, the instructor can use the video course content multiple times

without incurring additional production and delivery charges. The courses will be delivered to learners in

two modes: high bandwidth for on-campus students and low bandwidth for off-campus students

(normally the majority of a class) at UT Austin. In either case, media-rich presentation will be

accomplished by various bandwidth compression strategies.

The UT Austin e-learning project will create a model infrastructure that leverages faculty

members’ instructional strengths, enhances institutional academic productivity, supports highly

interactive faculty-student interaction, is scalable for large populations, achieves significant cost

efficiencies, and integrates critical information resource skill development necessary for success in the

online world. Faculty will more quickly be able to expand traditional classroom instruction to include e-

learning, both locally and at a distance. Students will be able to advance their learning at any time, on

campus or off campus accessing a solid foundation of technology-enhanced courses that reflects the

academic standards of the University and at the same time addresses its goals of expanding distance

education opportunities. Texas and its citizens will benefit from the powerful integration of e-learning

into the fabric of excellence that has long characterized the academic experience, student learning, and

fostering of knowledge at The University of Texas at Austin.


FORM 8: NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Explain the needs and/or problems that the proposed project will address. Focus on conditions in the lives of constituents that need to be changed; specify services that are unavailable without deploying advanced technology; identify disparity in access and financial need.


The University of Texas at Austin faces a complex and growing set of challenges in meeting its

higher education mission to the citizens of the state of Texas today and in the future. These challenges

are rooted in the large and growing number of students seeking a degree from UT Austin, the inadequacy

of the state appropriations per student to meet the needs for a quality educational experience, and the

demand by students for increased access to e-learning experiences that may not be dependent on physical

access to a university campus.

With a current enrollment of about 50,000 students, UT Austin has the largest student population

located on a single campus in the United States. Over 75 percent of these students are undergraduates, and

the number of faculty and staff and the physical classroom and laboratory resources are inadequate to

meet their needs. The current ratio of students to faculty at UT-Austin is the fifth highest among its peer

members of the American Association of Universities. The resulting excessively large classes often

reduce the quality of collaboration and interaction among faculty and students, which impacts the quality

of the learning experience.

The current state appropriation per student, even when combined with the allocation from the

Permanent University Fund, is significantly less than appropriations per student at any of UT Austin’s

five peer institutions – UCLA, Berkeley, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. While the University of Texas

at Austin has done an exemplary job of building outstanding academic programs that have contributed to

the state’s positive economic well being, it must compete for students and the faculty talent critical for

their learning against the very best universities in the United States with less than 70 percent of their

comparative resources.

In just nine years (1990-1999) the number of Texas public high school graduates increased by

88.5 percent, from 107,883 to 203,393 per year. More than 80 percent of the students at UT Austin

students come from Texas. As the state's population continues to grow, the number of in-state high school

graduates increases, and pressure to increase UT Austin's enrollment grows as well. It is neither feasible

nor practical to expect that the physical resources for delivering education (land, buildings, faculty and

staff) can or will increase sufficiently to meet the demands of this growth. Increased academic

productivity is an imperative for UT-Austin.



The Gartner Group estimates that by 2003, more than 50 percent of all traditional students

enrolled in degree programs will utilize technology-enhanced education to take one or more courses at a

distance. Students increasingly arrive on the UT Austin campus expecting to have educational materials

presented using information technologies, and most of them rely on technology in order to access

educational materials at anytime and from anywhere.

The University has taken steps in recent years to identify and assess (through surveys and focus

groups) the manner in which students use and rely on technology to meet their needs in education and

daily life. A recent survey shows that 90 percent of the students had access to a computer in their place of

residence. Focus groups in May 2000, which explored student expectations in classroom and campus use

of technology, revealed an assumption by students that information technology and e-learning must be an

integrated and normal part of the current and future academic experience.

The vast majority (about 88 percent) of the 50,000 students resides off campus and comprises the

largest segment of the undergraduate population. Many of these students, as well as their faculty, will be

geographically remote from the main campus for much of the time during which they are doing academic

work. Degree requirements for internship participation and the need to find summer employment to help

pay for tuition create additional extended periods when students are remote from the physical facilities of

the main campus and thus unable to continue with significant academic work. The University of Texas at

Austin already faces a built-in demand for establishing a solid distance learning infrastructure and

delivery methods in order to serve today's students in the environment in which they live and work.

The University of Texas at Austin has a long and significant technological heritage and has been

at the forefront in applying information technology to extend and enhance the academic activities of

students and faculty. The institution has been consistently ranked in the top 20 of most national measures

of information technology use and accessibility for students. In a 1998 survey, over 98 percent of the

faculty reported that they use computers and information technology resources in their teaching and

research. Programs such as the UT Austin Computer Writing and Research Lab have revolutionized

writing instruction for undergraduate students and served as models for similar efforts across the state and

around the country. Over the past three years, the University has invested more than $5 million annually

to develop technology-enhanced course materials produced by teams of faculty and students. Some of

these materials, as well as the FAST-Tex (Faculty and Student Teams for Technology) program through

which they are produced, have received national recognition for quality and innovation.



As the University of Texas at Austin looks to the future, however, one picture becomes

compellingly clear: Only by finding more efficient methods of expanding e-learning opportunities,

through utilizing existing facilities, systems and resources can the University realistically maintain the

quality of a UT Austin educational experience, increase academic productivity, and meet the growth in

numbers of students with their rising expectations of technologically enhanced learning. While this

complex challenge is particularly acute today at The University of Texas at Austin, other institutions in

the state of Texas will soon face similar situations, if not already.

Part of the responsibility of a flagship institution like the University of Texas at Austin is to

provide leadership in multiple ways to the state. Implementing a resource-efficient e-learning

infrastructure that is capable of delivering effective active learning experiences for large numbers of

students, that leverages faculty classroom time and materials and that is accessible at any time and any

place through the Internet would offer others a tested, replicable model for use at their institution. This

solution proposes, for about $10,000 per course, to develop content and to produce, for less than $20,000

per installation, a complete production facility built from off-the-shelf components, assembled and

installed into an existing classroom facility. The result of this infrastructure will mean that students can

access a video version of the faculty member’s presentation, complete with materials, participate in

interactive chat with the instructor, and use a searchable index to each session’s content at any time and at

any place through a Web browser and the Internet.

Higher education in Texas must find innovative ways to provide quality education to an increased

population at little to no increase in cost or the future economic growth and well being of all Texas

citizens is in doubt. The University of Texas at Austin has always played a strong and vigorous role in

using its resources to enrich the future of Texas. With this proposed project, UT Austin will be able to

continue to attract, retain and educate the minds needed to support improvements for the people of Texas

in the 21st century and provide an innovative model for others to follow.


FORM 9: STATEMENT OF EXISTING CONDITIONS

Focus on the current situation regarding technology by describing current equipment, technology funding levels, and the skill levels of project-related personnel. Describe the applicant organization’s long range technology plan and status of any technology task force or committee.


UT Austin has a large infrastructure and expert staff to support information technology functions and

services, most of which is operated by ACITS (see www.utexas.edu/cc for details). Existing groups

within ACITS are responsible for networking, instructional technology, training, and help desk, as well as

multimedia facilities in Liberal Arts and Pharmacy. ACITS has a staff of about 300 and an annual budget

of $15 million.

UT Austin and the individual colleges and departments provide ready electronic access to

networked data services and personal communication in offices, student computer labs, networked

residence halls, dial-up service, and classrooms. ACITS has connected all University-owned student

residence halls to the campus network. For off-campus access to UTnet, ACITS provides a dial-up

service (Telesys) with over 3,000 lines to service approximately 29,000 subscribers. UT Austin’s main

campus is connected to Austin’s public schools and Austin Community College by fiber optic cable.

In addition, UT Austin participates in a number of networked partnerships that offer long term

added value for distribution and delivery of e-learning courses, which will extend the future, positive

impact of this proposal far beyond the boundaries of its initial implementation. Key among these

relationships is the positioning of UT Austin's Texas Higher Education Network, (THEnet), which serves

as the nexus for a large partnership of education facilities, including the entire UT System, Texas A&M

System, and many school districts and libraries. The University is also a partner in the Greater Austin

Area Telecommunications Network (GAATN), which includes the Austin Independent School District,

Austin Community College, Travis County, the City of Austin, the Texas General Services Commission

and the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The University operates a central facility, the Center for Instructional Technologies (CIT) that

supports faculty who work with e-learning and multimedia technologies. The 18 CIT staff members offer

faculty expert-level consulting on a wide variety of multimedia and e-learning related topics. CIT

collaborates with instructional media laboratories in various colleges in cooperative Web-based projects,

to train students to work with faculty in college laboratories, and in developing technology-enhanced

learning materials, ranging from teaching modules to full on-line courses.


http://www.utexas.edu/cc

The six-person ACITS training group provides a high quality, widely available curriculum of 75

free short courses to faculty, staff and students, covering such topics as Internet access, using e-mail, and


Web publishing. In addition, in a partnership arrangement, ACITS operates the Microcomputer Teaching

Facility in the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center for hands-on instruction in 24 workshops. UT

Austin has appointed a campus-wide coordinator for computer training to coordinate courses offered by

Administrative Computing Services, ACITS, the General Libraries, and the Texas Union. ACITS also

offers help desk services for walk-in, telephone and e-mail consulting.

Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services (LAITS) employs 15 people to produce media-

rich, network-based course materials to faculty to supplement their traditional classroom instruction.

These materials, which this plan has targeted for distribution in e-learning courses, include modular

applications using text, images, videos, audio clips, and animations. Many are interactive, most have

testing components, and nearly all are delivered with open-standard Internet technologies. Liberal Arts

has invested heavily in developing this unit and supporting its activities (~ $1 million in equipment).

Recently, the college renovated its production studio, acquired new multimedia workstations and servers,

and converted the audio tape-based language lab into a nine-station computer lab and classroom that

classes and individual students can use to access streaming media and develop multimedia materials.

The College of Pharmacy Learning Resource Center supports multimedia production and

technology classroom operations with a staff of five. Technology equipment is valued at $0.75 million.

The College operates a full-time distance learning program which includes live, two-way interactive

video conferencing and videotaping of Pharmacy core curriculum classes, a computer and audio/visual

support program for classes, a student computer laboratory, a computer graphics laboratory, a student

media library, and a computer-aided instruction (CAI) classroom. Additionally, the LRC coordinates the

College Web site homepage and offers training and consulting in a variety of technical areas.

UT Austin has assembled a strong interdisciplinary team to carry out this project. Key personnel

and their credentials are listed below (resumes are included in the Appendix):

Thomas Edgar, PhD., is Associate Vice President of ACITS at UT Austin. He has been involved in

leading several major IT projects, including the Intel Education 2000 project ($6 million) and he

was Project Director of the previous TIF grant ($1.65 million). Dr. Edgar is on the Advisory

Board for the UT Telecampus.

Bill Bard has been with Academic Computing since 1966 and is now Deputy Director of Academic

Computing and Instructional Technology Services and also Director of the UT System Office of

Telecommunication Services. In these roles, he oversees computer networking at UT Austin and


the UT System-wide voice, video, and computer network. These responsibilities include

operating the statewide Texas Higher Education network (THEnet).


Daniel Benner is a veteran of both film and television production, both industry and at UT Austin. He

worked in distance education production for the School of Nursing at UT Austin and was also the

Webmaster for the school. Benner currently works for the Liberal Arts Instructional Technology

Services. He produced the Liberal Arts video that was compressed as a QuickTime movie and

included in the CDROM, UTCD 2000.

Eric Eubank, a senior systems analyst at UT Austin, has 20 years' experience in audio, video, and

multimedia production; Web site design, development, and management; computer

programming, and systems management. Eubank's Website and CD-ROM, produced for First

Year French at UT Austin, won first prize in UT's Innovative Instructional Technology

competition in 1997.

David Fudell, Manager of the College of Pharmacy Learning Resource Center, has worked in media

production and delivery for 25 years. He began his career in television broadcasting and video

production. His distance education and multimedia engineering experience includes serving as

Production Manager at the UT Austin School of Nursing and the Center for Instructional

Technologies, video-for-multimedia production unit.

Gail Lewis, Manager of Training Services in ACITS, is charged with coordinating and improving

computer training across campus in her role as Chair of the UT Computer Training Council. The

Council has the mission of developing a comprehensive strategic plan that ensures practical,

accessible, computer technology education for the entire UT community.

Pam McQuesten, PhD, is Associate Director of ACITS and also chair of the UT Austin Technology

Enhanced Learning/Distance Education committee, which reports to the Provost. Dr. McQuesten

was previously Assistant Dean for Technology in the College of Communication and was

employed in several other IT related jobs for over 15 years prior to coming to UT Austin.

Sue Phillips, Associate Director for Technical and Networked Services, UT Austin General Libraries, is a

recognized leader in statewide digital library programs for her work with TexShare program

administered by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and UT System Digital

Library. She is currently active in developing metrics for digital libraries in concert with the

International Coalition of Library Consortia and the E-Metrics Initiative of the Association of

Research Libraries.


FORM 10: PROJECT OBJECTIVES & METHODS

Identify project objectives and the methods or activities that will occur to meet the stated objectives. Objectives should be specific, identify what needs to be done, and be directly related to solving the needs defined in Form 8. Clearly describe project activities, state reasons for selection of activities, describe sequence of activities, describe staffing selections.


There are ten objectives that have been identified for this project.

1. Develop prototype e-learning courses in Pharmacy, Spanish, and Texas Politics using significant

amounts of streaming media to replace videotapes and videoconferencing, delivered for fall 2001.

2. Develop a range of information technology and information resources training courses, using

streaming media, to make available for just-in-time learning for all UT Austin students and faculty,

available for pilot testing in fall 2001. This will be augmented by purchased courses available in an

online format.

7. 3. e

10.1 Hardware and Software Issues (Project Manager: Pam McQuesten)

As a general rule, the UT Austin classes to be delivered via e-learning will be interactive classes

in active learning settings, with students receiving immediate feedback. We believe that recording actual

classes in session is more conducive to effective delivery of distance modules than asking students to

watch a talking head in front of a camera. Enabling the distance student see other students interacting


with an instructor will also enhance the learning experience. To augment this, the distance student can

interact directly with instructors, through a chat session. Finally, we plan to include presentation

materials, handouts, simulations, etc. as part of each session, that can be electronically downloaded along

with the streaming video and audio. Learning specialists have determined that audio and video

components, when well-designed and coupled with interactivity, can improve cognition.

Several questions must be addressed in the courseware template. Should the majority of e-

learning courses include video? If so, what format is best? How can the classroom experience be

approximated? We propose a basic system that integrates video and text material on the student’s

desktop. That system includes three elements (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Courseware Template


(1) Video and slides: A split-screen window takes up the top half of the screen, displaying slides on

the right and video of the lecturer on the left. It also has buttons at the bottom, linking to content

such as 0homework assignments or library materials located on the Web.

(2) Lecture outline: On the lower left-hand portion of the screen, a table of contents allows the

student to see an outline of a lecture and to move to different points in it. The table of contents is

synchronized with the video, slides, and other elements, so when the student clicks on different

sections of the lecture, the table of contents refreshes to correspond to them.


(3) Questions: This window contains frequently asked questions by students who have already taken

the course. These questions also are synchronized with the index and pop up as the topic to

which they correspond is accessed. The system allows the student to send e-mail to the professor;

and the professor to make those questions available for other students to read.

While it is feasible to develop such courseware using internal expertise, we also intend to evaluate a

commercial software solution called HorizonLive. Key advantages to HorizonLive include a student user

interface that is browser-based and supported by Windows and Macintosh. The instructor can easily

manage live class sessions with a Web browser. A mouse-click starts a live audio/video class session,

and “pushing” a slide to students is as simple as clicking a hyperlink. Complete archives are available

immediately after each live session, thus making “asynchronous” participation a reality. Finally,

HorizonLive is linkable within a course Web site and products like WebCT and Blackboard’s CourseInfo,

which are already licensed at UT Austin.


The HorizonLive Wizard is well designed, giving first-time users a chance to ensure proper

computer configuration and experience product features. Instructors and students at other universities

have found HorizonLive easy to use. Class sessions are delivered to students in a browser window that

provides slide presentation, streamed audio/video, live text chat, and two-way audio conferencing. The

slide presentation area supports standard Web media types and includes a mouse-driven e-board that

allows instructors to write, type, and draw, or import and modify images and desktop application

windows with the “LiveApp” feature.

The client and server computer requirements are fairly minimal and inexpensive: Windows ’98

or better), Mac OS 8.x, Netscape 4.08+ or Internet Explorer 5.0+, and 64MB of RAM to effectively

participate in live class sessions with video streaming. Instructors need a Windows ’98 or NT machine

with at least 64MB or RAM. Students and instructors need a sound card and speakers to receive

streaming audio, and a microphone to participate in real-time audio conferencing. A video capture card,

camera (if using video), microphone, and RealEncoder 5.1 software (available free), are required to

produce streaming video.

UT Austin intends to conduct the e-learning classes described above in an actual technology

classroom. This will utilize standard equipment and a user interface recently developed by the College of

Natural Sciences at UT Austin, which is “self-service” in nature (no auxiliary staff in the classroom or

control room beyond the instructor) and includes the following features: (1) projection system capable of

displaying high-resolution computer and video images; (2) audio system capable of both speech

reinforcement and theater quality ‘surround sound’; (3) dedicated computer systems consisting of both

‘Wintel’ and Macintosh platforms; (4) high speed network connections; (5) high quality document camera


capable of handling 3-D objects as well as paper documents; (6) VCR, DVD player, 35mm slide projects

and audio tape decks; (7) touch screen remote control system; and (8) appropriate security equipment.

Most equipment (except speakers) is located within a fixed or mobile console at the front of the

classroom. Unlike traditional large-scale presentation settings that typically require the assistance of a

media person, control of the media equipment within these facilities is designed to be entirely operated by

the presenter through a touch-screen control. The touch panel “user friendly” graphical interface

developed by UT Austin staff gives faculty access to computers, the Internet, VCRs, a document camera,

CD audio, and a variety of other media, all at the touch of a button. The system is extremely intuitive —

easy for non-technical faculty and staff to operate – and permits faculty to control equipment during class

without interrupting their lecture. Because UT Austin is standardizing this interface in a growing number

of classrooms, faculty can lecture in any one of these classrooms without needing special preparation or

new training about the equipment or its operation.


One critical technology component essential to these automated technology classrooms is

“Camera Man” (Presenter Camera System). This patented auto-tracking system releases distance learning

and video conferencing presenters from the limitations of stationary cameras and allows them the

freedom to get up from the conference room table and move to other places (such as lab tables or visual

aid displays) in the room. Presenters wear the tracking ring (lavalier) around their neck and Camera Man

follows and focuses on the presenter as he/she moves around the room (up to 60 feet away). The built-in

wireless microphone captures audio at the source. The cost of $7,000 is highly attractive compared to the

annual labor costs of manual camera operation.

This automated classroom environment will be deployed in three classrooms to support e-

learning pilot programs in the following areas: 1) Pharmacy, 2) Spanish Language 3) Texas Politics, and

4) Information Resources and Information Technology training. These programmatic aspects of the

proposed project are discussed in sections 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4.

10.2 Application of Technology-Integrated Lectures in Liberal Arts (Daniel Benner, Project Manger)

The College of Liberal Arts is the largest academic unit at UT Austin, with over 600 faculty,

13,000 students, and nearly 400,000 hours of course credit awarded each year. Liberal Arts Instructional

Technology Services (LAITS) was created in 1998 to produce and deliver media-rich, network based

course materials that supplement traditional classroom instruction and will provide course content for

future e-learning offerings. These materials typically include modular applications using text, images,

videos, audio clips, and animations. Many are interactive, most have testing components, and nearly all

incorporate open-standard Internet technologies. Students use them in class, in labs, and at home.


Projects completed to date range from a full, Web-based French grammar textbook (Tex’s French

Grammar) http://www.lamc.utexas.edu/tex , which includes streaming audio examples of pronunciation

and usage, to a site for home study of Spanish cultural material, http://www.lamc.utexas.edu/spn328.

Liberal Arts has invested heavily in developing this unit and supporting its activities. Recently, the

College renovated its production studio, acquired new multimedia workstations and servers, and

converted its audiotape-based language lab into a 90-station computer lab and classroom that classes and

individual student can use to accessing streaming media and develop multimedia materials. A long term

plan is being developed to construct a complete new home for LAITS, including recording studios, video

studios, and classrooms designed for recording lectures and presentations for anticipated delivery over the

internet. In this proposal, LAITS is responsible for the two projects described below:

(1) Texas Government

A course in Texas Government is required of all students at public universities in Texas. With 50,000

students, the demand for these courses at UT Austin is overwhelming. To enrich these courses, we


http://www.lamc.utexas.edu/spn328

http://www.lamc.utexas.edu/tex

propose to develop a series of e-learning modules. The core elements in each module will be a set of

produced video clips describing governmental functions through illustrated case studies, interviews with

governmental actors, and lectures by academic experts on Texas politics and history. Modules will also

include textual content, images, audio materials, and database driven, online testing. The modular design

will permit instructors to choose the parts they wish to use and their order. This flexibility will allow the

material to be used as supplemental materials at UT and other universities and in high schools without

requiring complete redesign of courses. Individual, stand-alone modules will also be more convenient for

casual use by the people of Texas in general.

LAITS is particularly well suited to undertake this project. With a location only a few blocks

from the Capitol, combined with status as one of the state’s flagship universities, UT Austin enjoys

unparalleled access to current and archived subject material. And, perhaps more importantly, the LAITS

staff is trained in video and audio recording, video editing, and Web compression techniques, and has

significant experience in the delivery of audio and video course material over the Internet.

LAITS will hire a full-time Content Specialist, a political science post-graduate (Ph.D.), to

provide content and coordinate the contribution of Government Department faculty. This content team of

faculty and specialists will do research, compose textual materials, and work with LAITS developers to

design the web layouts and plan the media for each module. The LAITS developers will manage the

video and audio recording, editing, and processing, image collection and processing, Web page

programming, server-side scripting and programming and server setup and administration. The first

modules will be piloted during fall 2001 and spring 2002, and be fully implemented for the fall 2002


semester. Development will continue indefinitely as new technologies and greater bandwidth make

media more accessible, and changes in Texas Government make updates of content necessary.

(2) Spanish Language

Audio and video materials are essential in language instruction. Videotapes and audiotapes have

been the media of choice at UT Austin, but physical distribution of such materials for e-learning has been

quite limited. By building on the traditional technology-based lab component in language courses, new

digital technologies can smoothly and naturally convert existing course materials and presentations into e-

learning language instruction modules. Recent advances in network technologies make network delivered

streaming media particularly compelling. The UT Austin lower-division Spanish language program is the

largest language program of its type in the U.S. with about 3,500 students enrolled each semester. This

project will replicate previous extensive effort in French language instruction to serve this large pool of

students through an e-learning process (see Tex’s French Grammar, http://www.lamc.utexas.edu/tex/).


Elements will include an online grammar text, network based audio exercises, extensive use of streaming

video to provide examples of natural usage, an interactive ‘chat’ application for structured practice, and

standard, Web-based, grammar drills.

10.3 College of Pharmacy Technology Applications (David Fudell, Project Manager)

The UT Austin College of Pharmacy has been actively involved in broadcast distance education

since the early ‘80s. In cooperation with the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, UT Austin

Pharmacy students have been receiving instruction via two-way video for more than two decades.

Initially, the two-way video path was an analog microwave network. With the advent of compressed

video conferencing, the program made a transition to T1-based videoconferencing.

The College also uses videoconferencing to deliver curriculum and coordinate administration to

affiliated students at the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Texas at Pan American, the MD

Anderson Smithville Science Park research facility, and other sites on an ad-hoc basis. At this time, fall

2000, the College is preparing to add students on a regular basis at UTEP and UT-Pan American as part

of its goals to place pharmacy students in underserved practicum sites such as West Texas, South Texas,

and rural North Texas.

Because the College has been so actively involved in using two-way video, an excellent

infrastructure exists to support it. One distance education classroom is equipped with three-chip cameras

and a high level of automation and remote control. A second distance education classroom is being

refitted to convert human-operated cameras to remotely controlled ones, along with appropriate

equipment for IP-based conferencing. Both classrooms have excellent connectivity to the College’s

videocontrol room, and from there to the UT System’s Network Operations Center. The Network


Operations Center is able to provide either T1- or ISDN-based connectivity from the College to, literally,

the world.

College of Pharmacy PharmD Program

Although the College has successfully used T1-based two-way video, this plan proposes to use

the more cost-effective of technologies to deliver this curriculum, transforming more traditional distance

education into an e-learning format. The key steps are to:

• Install two streaming video servers, one in Austin and the other in San Antonio. Servers would be

added at UTEP (within 18 months) and UT Pan Am as planned expansion occurs.

• Begin delivering classes that are currently videotaped by streaming video in MPEG-1 and

QuickTime Sorenson formats for high- and low-bandwidth connections respectively. It is anticipated

that the MPEG-1 content will chiefly be accessed through computer labs located in Pharmacy

classroom buildings in each city and by students with DSL or cable modem connections. The low-


bandwidth versions would be viewable by students with 56k dial-up connections. A very capable

network at each location would be required as well as ample Web bandwidth.

• Shift course-related videoconferencing from T1- to IP-based systems. The College is scheduled to

receive a high-quality IP-based teleconferencing unit in December 2000. Increased bandwidth from

the College to the campus backbone, as well as caching servers at each instructional site (in order to

conserve bandwidth), will be required in order to fully utilize the system.

• Produce e-learning course content that is more graphics-based, but that includes an audio/video

component. Faculty consistently use PowerPoint software to reinforce lectures in two-way video.

Therefore, adapting the content to a form that enables both a small video window (or audio only) as

well as graphically rendered (rather than embedded scan-converted video) synchronized slide

presentation of course materials within a Web browser will be relatively easy.

10.4 Information Resources/Info Technology Training (Sue Phillips/Gail Lewis, Project Managers)

For UT Austin's vision of e-learning to succeed, the institution's environment must offer widely available

and easily accessible ongoing training programs to enhance the both the information and technical

literacy needs of students and faculty. Information literacy is defined by the Southern Association of

Colleges and Schools as "the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information to become independent life-

long learners" (http://www.sacs.org/pub/coc/cri70.htm). Technical literacy includes not only the skills and

knowledge required to use any particular computer application, but also the understanding necessary to

re-conceptualize communication, scholarly work, teaching and learning as they incorporate various

technologies.


The Digital Information Literacy Office (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/UGL/DILO/) developed

the Texas Information Literacy Tutorial (http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/) as an interactive digital course on

basic information literacy for the UT System Digital Library. Building on this base, the General Libraries

is prepared to develop the following instructional modules in the e-learning format proposed in this

project and make them available to students, faculty and staff: (1) Introduction to UTNetCAT, the Online

Catalog of the UT Austin General Libraries; (2) Using E-Journals and Full-Text Articles; (3) Using

Bibliography-Building Software (Endnotes, Procite, and Reference Manager); (4) The Basics of Using

SCIFINDER; (5)How to Find Information About Pharmaceuticals; (6) Orientation to the General

Libraries Collections and Services; (7) Detecting and Avoiding Plagiarism; (8) Providing Fundamental

Research Skills to Students Using TILT; and (9) Patent and Trademark Searching on the Web.

The Training Services group in ACITS offers numerous classes, workshops, and other training

opportunities focused on technical literacy topics, descriptions of which can be seen at


http://www.utexas.edu/cc/training

http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/UGL/DILO/

http://www.sacs.org/pub/coc/cri70.htm

http://www.utexas.edu/cc/training/training.html. These include sessions on working with various

computer systems, using desktop and multimedia applications, as well as e-mail and the Internet,

developing Web pages and using statistical software. Highly focused and specially designed technology

seminars are offered to faculty twice per year. For this project, the Training Group will develop a series of

these training sessions in the identical e-learning format proposed for academic credit classes and make

these available to faculty, students and staff.

10.5 Content Development and Faculty Support

UT Austin has developed a comprehensive process to convert existing course

presentations and materials into distance education offerings. The process begins with the faculty

member participating in appropriate e-learning training or consultation. The faculty member then initially

evaluates the existing course content for electronic delivery and creates an inventory of existing course

materials, including syllabus, lecture notes, handouts, tests, videos, and overheads. The faculty member

then meets with an e-learning content development team (CDT) comprised of staff from the Center of

Instructional Technologies as well as other units. The CDT provides expertise in instructional design and

media production for e-learning coursework, while faculty members provide content expertise. The

faculty member and CDT reach an agreement regarding the possible, desired and recommended features

and content to include in the course.

Once course features and content have been determined, the faculty member and CDT work

cooperatively to create a detailed design for the course. The CDT creates a production timeline and

cost/effort estimate to determine whether the proposed design is reasonable based on time and budget


availability. After the detailed design is complete and approved, content should be developed, digitized,

and incorporated into the course, and then tested in a pilot setting. Quality assurance and assessment will

be a component of the pilot testing.

A primary goal of the UT Austin project is to lower the cost of producing e-learning, whether it is

used locally or at a distance. For example, a typical instructor might deliver a 50-minute classroom

presentation with supporting PowerPoint slides that can easily be adapted as an e-learning module. The

recorded lecture will be electronically integrated with the slides to yield a Web-based version of the

presentation. This involves videotaping, digitization and compression of all media, editing, and

conversion to the Web-based format with a table of contents and insertion of frequently asked questions

and other links. However, very little of the instructor's time is required to do this. The majority of the

time spent on technical elements is by a media specialist working from templates, for which no


http://www.utexas.edu/cc/training

programming skills are necessary. Equipment costs in this approach are similarly minimal. A complete

facility for producing distance education modules, with camera, tracking system, lights, backdrops,

computer, storage, and software, can be assembled from off-the-shelf components for less than $20,000.

To provide ongoing faculty support for e-learning, UT Austin will create a central Web location

for e-learning information that can be accessed at any time by faculty as well as students and staff. The

site's organization will allow users to easily locate available resources by key word subject search, and

other browsing and search options. One model of this type of service can be seen at the University of

Washington’s Catalyst project page: http://depts.washington.edu/catalyst/home.html

10.6 Project Management and Technical Support

UT Austin plans to create an e-learning Project Management Team that will develop, implement,

track the progress and evaluate this project. Members of the team will include representation from

various units in ACITS, Telecommunications, Liberal Arts, Pharmacy, Center for Instructional

Technology, and General Libraries. A steering committee, with oversight responsibility for the entire

project, will be formed with Directors or Associate Deans from each unit. This group will meet monthly

to access progress and deal with technical issues that cut across the various groups. The e-learning

Project Management Team will create a timeline for completing benchmark stages of the overall plan and

will regularly report on its progress to the steering committee.

Executive responsibility for the entire e-learning thrust at UT Austin, as well as this plan, is with

the Office of the Provost. As can be seen in section 10.5 and other portions of this proposal, UT Austin

has already defined a working model for a key element of the plan's project management needs by

creating a process for converting existing course offerings into distance education modules. UT Austin is


confident that it has the management infrastructure and technical resources in place to assure timely

completion of the plan as well as its success.

Documentation of information developed during this project will be by ACITS' Communications

Services staff. This staff consists of eight professionals, who have backgrounds in technical writing,

editing, documentation development, and Web design.

To assure that there is reliable technical support for UT Austin to successfully address the plan

and its goals, all networking equipment proposed for this project will be maintained, supported, and

upgraded as a central element of UTnet. This type of system has been maintained and supported by UT

Austin personnel for the past decade, and is compatible with the equipment being proposed for the

project. The server equipment and software proposed for this project has been planned to accommodate

currently available digital resources and to provide capacity for growth and failure redundancy to


http://depts.washington.edu/catalyst/home.html

accommodate needs as they occur in the near future. Maintenance, upgrades and repairs will be handled

as necessary by ACITS, or by contract with vendors. Other hardware and software proposed for this

project will be maintained, upgraded and repaired either by technical support staff in ACITS or by

contract with the vendor.


FORM 11: SYSTEM, INFRASTRUCTURE AND NETWORK

Establish guidelines for technical installation, determine what hardware and software is needed and how the system can accommodate growth (scalability). Briefly describe project network with regard to placement and intended use of resources; show how the network integrates with the applicant organization’s long range technology plan. Explain how software and hardware acquired as part of the proposed project will be upgraded, repaired, maintained, and supported in the future.


Fortunately, UT Austin is among a select number of higher education institutions that is at the

cutting edge of IT for its constituents. UT Austin has been ranked in the top 20 for the past several years

on Yahoo’s list of the 100 “most-wired” colleges, and its Web site ranks among the top five U.S.

universities in usability and number of visits.

The telecommunications and IT infrastructure at UT Austin currently meets most of the expressed

IT needs of its students, faculty and staff of 70,000. However, given the rapid developments in

technology and concomitant expectations of the UT Austin community for increased integration of IT

into daily operations, those needs are constantly expanding. Experimental and exploratory uses of

information technology continue to grow, while at the same time, ordinary operational uses are now

widespread and growing in complexity to include elements such as instant messaging, IP-based video

conferencing and ubiquitous networking.

Designing a server infrastructure for e-learning includes, as a key requirement, addressing the

needs of content providers. Content providers need the equipment to produce their content, as well as the

equipment and infrastructure to provide it to their consumers. There are multiple models and toolsets to

accomplish this goal. Some models allow content providers to operate their own digital streaming

servers, to give them maximum server control and performance for their specific project. This approach

has the disadvantage of requiring dedicated staff resources to run the server, and due to cost, the amount

of available storage is likely to be somewhat limited.

Other models allow content providers to concentrate on media production alone, storing and

serving their data on a centralized service that is configured to offer a reliable and standardized level of

performance and a large amount of storage space. The trade-off is a larger pool of storage and lowered

staff requirements, rather than competition for space and server streams. Both models have their place in

an e-learning infrastructure. For this project, UT Austin has selected a centralized approach in offering the

best combination of cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Below we propose a core multimedia storage and

streaming service facility for the UT Austin campus.



When considering architecture for a central service, we can point to UT Austin’s Web Central

server system that serves as a successful model of an IT infrastructure resource for storing and

distributing data in the form of Web pages. UT’s Web Central is composed of a heterogeneous set of four

servers of various capacities and responsibilities (Web, ftp, virtual hosting, Webmail). Publisher access

to the shared file storage is provided by two timesharing server systems (uts.cc.utexas.edu) that provide

the user authorization database for the Web Central servers.

These server systems share a common file server from Network Appliance. Individual servers

use storage as is needed from the shared server, and multiple servers can operate on the same data files.

This many-server, shared-storage approach offers the prospect of scalability, which helps ensure reliable

services during instances for unpredictable server loads in the future. The advantages of a file server

appliance (“filer”) are many. Filers use a RAID file system both for performance and to guard against

data loss should a disk drive fail. Filers can often deliver data over the network as fast as a local disk

drive can. Failed disk drives on the filer can be replaced without system downtime, and system software

upgrades take only two minutes. Problems on individual server systems do not affect core file storage

access. For maximum reliability, software is available to mirror the data on one filer from another, for

only the cost of a server and a license for mirroring software.

One interesting model for archiving recorded lectures is the Berkeley Lecture Browser developed

by Berkeley Multimedia Research Center: http://bmrc.berkeley.edu/frame/projects/lb/. The lecture

browser (LB) is designed to support viewing of the stored lectures. LB begins by opening a pair of

windows and providing a stream of the video and a synchronized display of the lecture slides. The LB

allows syncing the slides to the speaker, or vice versa. For example, an index of the slides appears, the

user clicks on a particular slide, and the video automatically fast forwards to the point at which the

lecturer was speaking. LB has a search tool, which will locate keywords in the slides. The user can click

on the results and the slide and video will both sync to the location identified in the search. UT Austin

plans to evaluate this tool as well as similar models and tools.

11.1 Telecommunications Infrastructure at UT Austin

The campus telecommunications infrastructure consists of a complex system of copper wire, fiber-optic

cable, and sophisticated electronics, and conveys the various types of information -- routine to critical --

that supports essential components of daily academic life at the University. The IT infrastructure at UT

Austin supports the communications needs of the campus computer network (UTnet), telephone service,

campus security, instructional and administrative video, and building environmental controls. Clearly,

the campus telecommunications infrastructure has become an essential utility for the entire community.


http://bmrc.berkeley.edu/frame/projects/lb/


Below is a brief description of the major elements of the UT Austin telecommunications

infrastructure.

11.1.1 UTnet

UTnet, the UT Austin campus computer network, is a comprehensive metropolitan-area network

that connects 35,000 computer systems on the main campus and at the Pickle Research Campus (PRC).

The premier characteristic of UTnet’s architecture is its ability to scale well. The network is designed to

gracefully accommodate ever-increasing numbers of end systems, traffic, and types of services. This is

accomplished via a hierarchical design that consists of three levels. The general structure/function of

each level is as follows:

The access layer is closest to the user and provides connectivity for user clients, servers, and

other end systems. This layer functions intra-building and is transitioning from 10Base-T connectivity

via shared-channel hubs to 100Base-TX connectivity via duplex, dedicated channel, switches.

The distribution layer provides inter-building connectivity and bandwidth aggregation. This layer

is also in transition from routers, which served to connect multiple proximate buildings in a hub-and-

spoke configuration. Each building is connected, in a star arrangement, to a central core via a high-speed

switch and a dedicated single mode optical fiber connection operating in the gigabit-per-second regime.

The core layer implements connectivity between the inter-building distribution switches and

provides routed connectivity to external networks. Over 700 Internet Protocol subnets are in place to

support the network addressing for the 35,000 computers on UTnet. The switches, routers and other

networking gear that make up the entire UTnet system are located in 122 buildings throughout the two

major campuses and at sites around Austin. Currently, 83 buildings on the main campus are connected to

the core switches in the network operations center (NOC). Another 32 buildings on the PRC campus, and

seven remote sites are connected via serial lines.

The current UTnet system includes more than 350 Cisco switches supporting over 10,000

switched ports. Still more Ethernet hubs are connected to these switches that support the remaining

25,000 computers. Add to that another 60 or so stand-alone Cisco routers, for a total of over 410 network

switches and routers, and hundreds of Ethernet hubs in UTnet.

To make UTnet function, an extensive campus-wide fiber optic cable plant has been deployed.

New single-mode fiber optic cables are currently being added to this cable plant to support laser-based

Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. The fiber optic cables move network signals



between buildings on campus, and across the citywide Greater Austin Area Telecommunications Network

(GAATN) network to the PRC campus.

Within buildings, network signals are moved over twisted-pair copper cabling based on structured

cabling standards. These technical standards support schools and departments in the design and

installation of twisted-pair cabling systems in campus buildings. The fiber optic and copper cabling

systems alone represent a major investment of university resources for networking. New or renovated

buildings and the ongoing departmental network upgrades serve to continually increase the size of the

network and the number of its network switches and routers.

UTnet provides continually active network connectivity to the entire UT Austin community,

including students, faculty, researchers and staff. To support its users, the network is managed on a 24-7

basis, and includes a system of redundant equipment in the UTnet core to help minimize outages. On-call

staff are available to respond no matter when problems may occur.

In terms of expenditures, number of users, or volume of data carried, UTnet represents the largest

information technology project in the history of the university. The constant and rapid growth of UTnet

reflects the vital importance of this resource to the entire university community.

Equipment for the latest backbone upgrade arrived late in 1999. Deployment of the new switches

has been in several stages, as the many links that make up the current network system have been moved

from the old switches to the new ones. The deployment of the new system was completed during the

spring of 2000 with the full cutover of all campus routing to the new switches.

The new system is based on the latest generation of large Cisco switches and routers, the Catalyst

6500 series. The two new core switches each provide 32 Gigabit/sec switch engines, for a total of 64

Gigabits/sec of core switching capability. Each switch is also equipped with Layer 3 routing that can

operate at up to 15 million packets per second (Mpps), for a total of 30 Mpps of routing (see Figure 2).

The core switches are connected to external networks via an array of three Cisco 7513 routers. Therefore,

the new backbone system provides a switching rate that is roughly 10 times faster than the previous

generation, with routing that operates at roughly 15 times faster. The new system also supports many

more Gigabit Ethernet links.



To help distribute the current heavy load, a third 6509 switch has been obtained and will soon be

added to the core, providing another 32 Gigabits/sec of switching and 15 Mpps of routing. A fourth

switch is planned, at which point there will be 128 Gigabits/sec of switching and 60 Mpps of routing

capability in the core.

The next generation of switching engine for the 6509 series will double the individual routing

performance, and the long-term strategy is to seek funds to acquire this equipment when it becomes

available. Cisco has also announced a future generation of switching module for the 6509 that will

provide an additional 256 Gigabits/sec of switching capability per switch.

As equipment has become available, the UTnet core has been implemented as a dual redundant

system with multiple core switches each operating independently. There are two backbone networks

currently supported by these switches. Those sites on campus that require the highest level of network

reliability must provide routing and switching equipment in their building that can connect to both

backbone networks on separate switches in the core.

A site is protected from single core switch failure when connected over dual redundant links.

Should the connection to either of the core switches fail for any reason, whether due to link failure or core

switch failure, automatic cutover to the redundant link and core switch takes place.


At a minimum, all buildings on campus are connected to the core switches with 100 Mbps Fast

Ethernet links operated in full-duplex mode. A number of buildings on campus are connected to the new

core switches with fiber optic Gigabit Ethernet, which uses laser signaling over single-mode fiber optic


cables. Each of these links is operated in full-duplex mode, delivering an aggregate bandwidth of 2 billion

bits/sec per link.

The plan at UT Austin is for all new connections to the core switches to be made with Gigabit

Ethernet links for maximum link performance. Future links will operate even faster; the next generation

of Ethernet is currently under development, and a 10 Gigabit/sec Ethernet standard is expected to be

finalized in 2002.

Currently there are 10 major sites on campus linked to both switches in the core with dual

redundant Gigabit Ethernet links, providing a total of 4 Gbps of link bandwidth to each site. These sites

include the Colleges of Business, Communications, and Fine Arts along with other high usage

departments including Astronomy, Physics, Mathematics, and Electrical Engineering.

11.1.2 Internet-2

UTnet provides all members of the UT Austin community with access to Internet-2. The

Internet-2 project of the University Consortium for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID), with its

national scope and broad subscription, operates at the apex of today’s hierarchy of research networks.

The Internet-2 architecture advocates the efficient interconnection of multiple high performance physical

networks provided by national carriers, and its development plan emphasizes the creation of applications

that can exploit the capabilities of this high capacity communications infrastructure. The hierarchy

extends via regional and/or metropolitan networks to institutional networks such as UT Austin’s UTnet.

Within Texas, two partnerships are emerging that provide Internet-2 connectivity. The first,

termed the GigaPOP and initially located in Houston, concentrates Internet-2 connectivity for multiple

organizations at a single physical point-of-presence. UT Austin has used this arrangement for its

connection to the National Science Foundation’s Very High Speed Backbone Network Service (vBNS).

The second, or distributed GigaPOP, recognizes that multiple carriers are providing Internet-2 services,

e.g., Qwest’s Abilene, Broadwing’s Gemini 200, and MCI’s vBNS+, and promotes the cost efficient

connection of subscribers to their nearest Internet-2 carrier. UT Austin employs this new arrangement for

Internet-2 connectivity in the implementation of its OC-3 (155 Mb/s) connection to the Abilene network.

11.1.3 Greater Austin Area Telecommunications Network (GAATN)

Within the Austin metropolitan area, UT Austin employs the Greater Austin Area

Telecommunications Network (GAATN) for high capacity communication between its campuses and


with national communication carriers. UT Austin is one of seven public-sector participants that own and

operate the unique optical fiber network that serves all areas of the city.



GAATN is a joint partnership between the Austin Independent School District (AISD), Austin

Community College (ACC), City of Austin (CoA), Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), Travis

County, the State of Texas represented by the State General Services Commission (GSC) and UT Austin

that constructed a metropolitan-wide information super-highway. The network, owned and managed by

the participants, consists of strands of fiber optic cable connecting the sites of the GAATN participants.

The network is intended to:

1. meet anticipated communication requirements well into the next century,

2. reduce the ongoing support costs,

3. insure service for governmental entities such as libraries and social service agencies which might

not be able to afford the bandwidth and types of access necessary for their mission,

4. promote common telecommunications standards for sharing voice, video and data,

5. dovetail with federal initiatives for similar networks at the national level, and provide unique

opportunities for participants to obtain grant funds.

The network can be expanded to include additional GAATN participant sites. The network is

designed in physical ring configurations, rather than a tree and branch scheme. The system consists of ten

rings, each employing the Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) transmission protocol. There are a

North and a South Super Ring emanating form AISD Treaty Oak Square. The North Super Ring connects

to five sub rings where participants’ sites are connected. The South Super Ring connects to three sub

rings where participants’ sites are connected. Altogether, there are more than 450 participant sites on the

GAATN rings.

Each GAATN participant deploys its own equipment on its own strands of fiber. Participants

have implemented services including telephone systems, Internet access, computer network extensions,

and video delivery between sites. The emergency notification system for a multi-county area utilizes

GAATN, via CoA fiber, for high-speed bandwidth in order to transmit geographical information to

expedite emergency service delivery.

GAATN provides UT Austin with access to external communication services, including

commodity Internet, Internet-2, and the public-switched telephone network, via single mode optical fiber

operating at the OC-3 (155 Mb/s) and OC-12 (600 Mb/s) transmission rates


FORM 11: SYSTEM, INFRASTRUCTURE AND NETWORK.

11.1.4 Telesys

The Telesys service provides the UT community with the ability to access the Internet via a

modem and the public switched telephone network. Telesys was initiated in 1993 and has maintained a

heavy subscription. Currently, 25,000 users subscribe to Telesys. At present, 3,100 lines are installed and

they all support the International Telecommunication Union V.90 modem standard that permits data rates

of 56 Kb/s.

In addition to the standard analog service provided by Telesys, UT Austin has evaluated and

tested the equipment and transmission facilities necessary to provide Integrated Services

Digital Network (ISDN) service. ISDN provides a three-fold increase in data rate beyond analog

telephone connections. In the past, equipment and service costs have been barriers to providing ISDN

service. Recently, however, the cost of the equipment used to provide the service has been significantly

reduced as all-digital systems have been introduced.

In addition to analog and digital telephone connectivity, Telesys provides UT Austin users with

asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) access. UT Austin has registered with the incumbent local

exchange carrier, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (SWBT), as an Internet service provider. In

this capacity, members of the UT Austin community can obtain ADSL connections from their residences

to the campus via SWBT, effectively providing direct broadband connections to UTnet. ADSL

connections typically support transmission capacities of 1.5 Mb/s toward the user and 384 Kb/s from the

user.

11.1.5 Video Services

Both broadcast and interactive television programming is available throughout the UT campus.

A campus-wide community antenna television (CATV) cable system, with a presence in every building

on both the Main Campus and PRC, is employed to carry the television signals. The cable system is

connected to the Satellite Operations Facility located immediately north of Disch-Falk field on the

frontage road of Interstate 35. The Satellite Operations Facility houses an array of satellite antennae and

supporting equipment, including a Simulsat multi-channel receiver, two single channel receivers, and a

Vertex Ku-band uplink. This equipment is configured so that broadcast television programming can be

received from any satellite and sent to any building on campus, or alternatively, distance education

programming can originate from any building on campus and be transmitted to any satellite for

distribution to locations across the continent.



The campus cable system is also connected to the Network Operations Center. The NOC

additionally serves as the nexus for a partnership of several interactive compressed digital video networks

that includes those operated by UT System, Texas A&M System, Texas Tech University, and Sprint.

This connection enables interactive video programming to be exchanged between any campus building

with the necessary production facilities and any of the sites connected via the various networks. The

NOC additionally provides the hardware necessary to participate in multi-site conferencing.

Approximately 1,000 hours of instructional programming are delivered via these facilities each month.

In aggregate, these facilities provide departments with both up and downlinking services for

teleconferences, regularly scheduled programming, and special events originating on campus.

Similarly, the facilities, in conjunction with the Center for Instructional Technology, can provide

departments with access to interactive video services in support of instructional, research, or

administrative programs.

11.1.6 UT System Network/THEnet

Operating under a service contract with UT System Administration, UT Austin provides the

services of the UT System Office of Telecommunication Services (UT System OTS). UT System

OTS is responsible for providing inter-institutional telecommunication services to all the component

institutions of The University of Texas System in direct support of their missions in instruction, research,

and health care. These telecommunication services include research and instructional computer

networking, administrative computer networking, interactive video, and telephony. In addition, UT

System OTS provides the component institutions with technical networking and telecommunication

consulting services and access to remote information services. UT System OTS also provides operational

management of the Texas Higher Education network, THEnet.

From a functional perspective, the telecommunication services that UT System OTS provides to

its partner institutions serve as a primary means of resource sharing and cost reduction. Several types of

resources and services are routinely shared via inter-institutional telecommunication partnerships,

including classroom instruction, library materials, administrative applications, unique scientific

instrumentation, and student records.

The technology for providing inter-institutional telecommunication services to the component

institutions of The University of Texas System can be summarized as follows (see Figure 3):



(1) Voice, video, and computer generated information are carried between institutions via common digital

transmission facilities and a common integrated communication architecture (ICA) is employed for the

communication equipment at each component institution campus.

(2) Open communication and networking standards are strictly followed throughout the UT System

network so that interoperability between component institutions, other state agencies and universities, and

relevant national and international organizations can be maintained at least cost and maximum

effectiveness.

The Texas Higher Education network, THEnet, is a tributary network partner in the UT System

network that employs the 15 component institutions as concentration points for connection of

geographically proximate entities including public schools, community/junior colleges,

colleges/universities, libraries, hospitals, state agencies, and city/municipal

governments. Currently, THEnet provides direct Internet connectivity to approximately 450 public sector

organizations that span Texas. Using THEnet, UT Austin can implement direct efficient Internet-based

distance education connectivity with any of these entities.

UT Austin employs the UT System network and THEnet infrastructures for commodity Internet

and interactive digital video connectivity. UT Austin has access, via the UT System network, to more

than 350 video sites at universities, hospitals, and clinics across Texas. Similarly, UT Austin obtains

approximately 200 Mb/s of commodity Internet access via THEnet and its connections to various Internet

service providers.

The THEnet architecture also provides UT Austin with an efficient mechanism for Internet-based

communication with members of its community who obtain Internet access from commercial service

providers in the Austin metropolitan area. Peering points have been established at carriers’ points-of-

presence, neutral sites, and the UT Austin campus, to permit the exchange of routing advertisements and

mutual network traffic. These peering points eliminate the need for network traffic to transit national

Internet backbones during sessions carried by Austin-based Internet service providers that are destined for

UT Austin. As a result, response times are improved and commercial wide-area bandwidth is conserved.



Figure 3. The UT System Network



11.1.7 Incorporating New Network Equipment

This proposal is designed to provide UT Austin with both the content and delivery system for e-

learning, locally and at a distance. An essential element of this project is the telecommunications

infrastructure that will deliver the e-learning course materials. Assessing the UT Austin

telecommunications infrastructure, as described above, the component that will incur the largest load

increase differential when the plan is implemented is the core of UTnet. The UTnet core serves as the

nexus between major network subcomponents, e.g., RESnet, the residence hall network, Telesys, and all

external connectivity. As described earlier, the core currently consists of Cisco Systems 6500 series

switches and 7500 series routers. Projecting that as many as 100 simultaneous e-learning video flows

may be transiting the core during peak loads and that each flow will carry an average of one

mega-bit/second of video information, the load differential is estimated to be on the order of 100 Mb/s.

While the recently upgraded 6500 series switches can accommodate this differential increase in traffic,

the 7500 series routers are currently within 15% of their capacity and they could not accommodate the

projected differential load increase.

Therefore, this plan proposes that two Juniper M10 routers and associated spares be acquired to

supplant the existing 7500 series routers. While the capacity ratio of the Juniper M10 to the 7500 is

complex to summarize in brief, the ratio is easily calculated to be between five and 10 for most common

performance metrics, e.g., packet rate, bit rate, individual interface throughput, etc. With the acquisition

of the proposed Juniper M10 equipment, the capacity of the UTnet core to serve video information to

external sources, including other UT component institutions, THEnet subscribers, or the Internet at large,

would advance from its current capacity limit of approximately 200 Mb/s to in excess of 1 Gb/s. This

increment will accommodate the video streaming loads associated with this e-learning proposal and the

growth that can be expected after it has achieved maturity.


FORM 15: SUSTAINABILITY/SECURING FUNDING

Address ways applicant organization intends to secure future funding to sustain project. Examine different outlets for local funding, community in-kind donations and cash, Federal and other State grants. Discuss measures that employ cost-effective procedures for implementing the project.


A primary goal of this proposed project is to achieve an improved e-learning format and process

that simultaneously expands learning options for students while keeping development, delivery and

support costs low. To achieve the cost effectiveness believed necessary for any sustainable e-learning

initiative, UT Austin is focusing on easily-generated instructor content by using highly automated

classroom technology, a centralized advanced network and server infrastructure for delivery, and a

template-driven student interface accessible through a Web browser. These choices minimize the need for

skilled professional IT staff, is a recruitment, retention and overall important cost factor for all higher

education institutions.

The classroom technology includes standard equipment with a locally-developed and deployed

user interface which is “self-service” in nature with the result that no auxiliary staff is needed in the

classroom or in the control room beyond the instructor. The network-server architecture derives its cost

savings by including inexpensive redundant features making total system failure or data loss virtually

impossible. Further, offering programs from a central server saves considerable money in software license

fees, a significant cost factor for institutions the size of UT Austin. Finally, central servers will be

maintained in stable configurations to ensure superior uptime performance, again minimizing the

opportunity cost of downtime as well as leveraging existing operational staff time and expertise.

The courseware template will most likely be developed using HorizonLive, which provides a

Web browser accessible user interface that includes streamed audio and video, slide presentations, live

text chat and two-way audio conferencing. This template has minimal server and client requirements

which reduces the cost of both delivery and access. Further, the use of a standard template reduces

training, maintenance and support costs, each of which is a significant factor in the overall price tag for

most e-learning solutions whether delivered locally or at a distance.

At the conclusion of this project, UT Austin will have the infrastructure in both technology and

process necessary to continue the development and deployment of e-learning in courses across every

major. This goal will be realistic because a cost effective solution has been piloted and the experience

documented not only in terms of deployment, but in use by both faculty and staff. UT Austin President

Larry Faulkner has stated that over the next year, the campus needs to make a concerted effort to



encourage students to raise their average course load by two credit hours per semester, from the current

average of 12.7 credit hours toward 15 hours. Accomplishing this goal will improve UT Austin’s

contribution of new graduates to the Texas economy and society by a significant margin and provide

space for as many as 1,000 additional freshmen per year.

One of the ways this goal will be achieved is through the development and availability of e-

learning course opportunities for students. The funding of the infrastructure and demonstration courses

being requested in this proposal is the first step toward a much larger commitment by the institution to

this direction in higher education. Plans for continued development of e-learning courses using this

infrastructure are being formulated by each college across the campus and expressed in their Vision Plans

submitted annually to the administration. By designing this project to include project managers from

various campus units and to create an implementation team from multiple units, the foundation for the

necessary knowledge transfer required for sustainability is in place.

Recognizing that this project is part of a larger mosaic of funded information technology

activities at UT Austin is critical to understanding the University's capability and commitment not to

simply sustaining, but to building upon the project’s successful completion. Funding of IT is resident in,

and provided by, a variety of entities on campus, including IT providers such as ACITS, the General

Libraries and the colleges involved in this project. To provide an important and additional funding

umbrella for UT Austin, in 1993 the Board of Regents approved an information technology fee of $6 per

semester credit hour. This fee provides over $7 million per year to fund campus computing infrastructure

as well as departmental and college computing labs, networking, and services, with a focus on

instructional computing. Since 1993, colleges have been required to develop vision plans describing their

information technology expenditures. Plans are submitted to the Information Technology Advisory

Committee (ITAC) for approval. This student-faculty committee has the oversight of the ITAC funds.

Another coordinating body on campus that is concerned with sustainability is the Information

Technology Coordinating Council (ITCC), which has the responsibility of formulating and updating the

integrated long-range plan (LRP) for information technology and keeping the Executive Officers apprised

of budget ramifications of the LRP. Within the context of biennium budget planning, the ITCC develops

detailed implementation (tactical) plans, programs, and budgets, and identifies who is responsible for

implementation. These plans are developed in cooperation with college deans, who have budget

responsibilities for these units. ITCC predicts and monitors the impact of new technological

developments on the University mission, including best practices of peer institutions. ITCC also


identifies opportunities for collaboration with other universities (including the UT System) as well as

government and private sector partners. ITCC seeks to achieve better integration of information


technology services and functions across the various information technology organizations of UT Austin.

The new Vice-President for Information Technology chairs the ITCC. The 20 members of the

coordinating council represent leadership of academic units as well as the major information technology

constituencies on campus and student representation. Several task forces have emerged from the ITCC,

including groups to study and report on the accessibility of electronic information, digital library data

standards, electronic ID’s, multimedia in the classroom, and a network master plan for UT Austin.

The University now spends over $80 million annually on information technology resources of all

types. Unified tracking of all major information technology budgets and expenditures by ITCC permits

the integration of information resources and their efficient use. The University plans to use this

coordinated approach in the future for funding, budgeting, and managing IT resources.

In addition, the University is working on alliances with the private sector in order to obtain

additional resources, and is actively engaged with several major technology companies: Apple, Cisco

Systems, Dell, and Microsoft are key relationships. The University of Texas operates with a four-year

site license agreement with Microsoft for use of their software. The institution is also the recipient of

multiple grants focusing on computing and academics from technology such as Intel, which provided $6

million initially and has just contributed an additional $550,000. Federal grants and contacts are another

option, and the University raises over $200 million per year from outside agencies and foundations. The

State of Texas also provides grant funds for specific programs, which may be pursued.

To provide electronic information and services essential to teaching, learning and research to a

user population as large as that at UT requires a well-developed process for planning and obtaining

adequate funding, personnel, facilities and other resources. This project, already regarded as critical to the

future of UT Austin and to Texas, should encounter no difficulty in receiving continued high priority in

funding and allocation from internal sources as well as in external resource development efforts.


FORM 16: PROJECT TIMELINE

Include a detailed timeline for installation of equipment, training, and project activities. Document when outlined objectives are expected to be met as well as major milestones projected over the life of the project. Refer to the RFP for anticipated starting and ending dates for the grant project. All obligations of funds for activities and services conducted shall occur within those dates.


The project timeline is shown below with action steps for each of the 10 objectives. Also shown

are TIF budget costs for each objective where appropriate, which includes equipment costs and

item numbers from Schedule E, local funds (matching), and in kind labor contributions over 18

months of the project.1. Develop prototype asynchronous learning courses in Pharmacy,

Spanish, and Texas Politics that utilize streaming media$125,089 (items 1-5)in kind: $328,125

1a. Form Content Development Teams and develop work plan for Spanish, Texas Politics, and Pharmacy

2/1/01 – 3/1/01

1b. Collect content materials and carry out instructional design with selected faculty

3/1/01-5/1/01

1c. Prepare Web-based materials, including PowerPoint slides and other interactive exercises

4/1/01-6/1/01

1d. Develop streaming video materials 4/1/01-7/1/011e. Test with focus groups 6/1/01-8/31/011f Pilot testing in fall semester, 2001 9/1/01-12/15/011g. Integrate lectures in archive with module presentation 9/1/01-12/15/011h. Evaluation of pilot courses 12/1/01-1/15/021i. Train instructors who will use new teaching templates 12/1/01-1/15/021j. Production testing in spring, 2002 1/15/02-5/15/021k. Evaluation of production testing 5/1/02-7/1/021l Procure server and video production equipment 2/1/01-3/1/011m. Install equipment and test with appropriate software 4/1/01-5/1/011i. Train instructors who will use new teaching templates

2. Develop a range of training courses using streaming media on information technology (IT) and information resources (IR) for just-in-time learning for all UT Austin students

$0local: $57,000

2a. Form content development teams and develop work plan for information technology courses (5 basic courses in IT, 15 courses in IR)

2/1/01 – 3/1/01

2b. Review existing content for IT and IR short courses taught in face-to-face mode (e.g., PowerPoint slides)

3/1/01-5/1/01

2c. Review other online courses in subject areas 4/1/01-6/1/012d. Prepare Web-based materials 4/1/01-7/1/012e. Test learning modules with focus groups 6/1/01-8/1/012f Pilot testing of five IT courses and 15 IR courses and videotape

instructors9/1/01-11/1/01

2g. Develop archive of training lectures (videos) 11/1/01-12/1/01


2h. Integrate video with PowerPoint slides 12/1/01-1/31/02


2i. Production testing of IT and IR Courses 2/1/02-5/1/022j. Evaluate with student classes 1/1/02-5/1/022k Evaluate with faculty classes 4/1/02-6/1/022l Purchase server for storage of IT/IR courses 2/1/01-3/1/012m. Install equipment and test with appropriate focus groups 4/1/01-6/1/01

3. Develop a prototype web-based presentation that utilizes archived lectures with streaming audio/video, PowerPoint slides, and chat/discussion features

$29,916 (items 6-21)local: $19,000, in kind: $93,750

3a. Purchase software for SMIL (synchronized multimedia) 2/1/01-3/1/013b. Purchase video production equipment 2/1/01-3/1/013c. Assemble prototype distance education lecture module 4/1/01-6/1/013d. Refine production process and how archives will be incorporated into

learning modules6/1/01-8/1/01

3e. Apply to Spanish, Politics, and Pharmacy Courses 8/1/01-12/1/013f Compare with commercial software format (HorizonLive.com) and

evaluate costs to develop one hour of instructions10/1/01-12/1/01

3g. Evaluation and modifications of modules design based on pilot testing 12/1/01-1/15/023h. Evaluation and modification of module designs based on production

testing4/1/02-6/1/02

4. Test automated classroom design and operations, including live video recording using camera tracking technology and course management software

$21,000 (item 22)in kind: $18,750

4a. Purchase Cameraman systems 2/1/01-3/1/014b. Outfit three technology classrooms with Cameraman and presentation

podiums and test equipment in simulated lecture environments4/1/01-8/1/01

4c. Develop instructor procedures and refine usage of automated systems 8/1/01-9/1/014d. Test tracking technology in pilot classes 9/1/01-12/1/014e. Evaluate quality of automated recorded lectures vs. operator-controlled

videotaping8/1/01-12/1/01

4f Use tracking technology in production testing of distance education classes

1/15/02-5/15/02

5. Develop lecture archiving procedures and delivery via three server platforms (Sun, NT, Apple).

$155,246 (items 24-29)in kind: $56,250

5a. Purchase 3 central server platforms (NT, Apple, SUN) 2/1/01-3/1/01



5b. Use a given platform with different courses, based on preferences of instructor and content development teams.

3/1/01-5/31/01

5c. Develop lecture archiving procedures and content classification scheme.

4/1/01-7/1/01

5d. Develop integration scheme for accessing archived lectures and combining it with PowerPoint.

6/1/01-9/1/01

5e. Design screen functions/buttons for user interface (browser-based) and carry out necessary programming.

6/1/01-8/1/01

5f Test procedures in pilot courses (3 different platforms) 9/1/01-12/15/015g. Refine procedures after pilot testing. 12/1/01-1/15/025h. Production testing of three different platforms and user interface. 1/15/02-5/15/02

6. Upgrade network architecture in order to handle widespread audio/video streaming

$350,000 (item 23)in kind: $56,250

6a. Verify preliminary design for network upgrade is correct 2/1/01-3/1/016b. Order equipment 3/1/01-4/1/016c. Install equipment, acceptance testing 6/1/01-8/11/016d. Benchmark network performance 8/1/01-10/1/016e. Carry out user surveys on response of network to user interaction (low

and high bandwidth versions)9/1/01

7. Make web-based courses available to users via three asynchronous learning formats: high bandwidth (on campus), low bandwidth (dial-up access), and MPEG (downloadable)

$0in kind: $18,750

7a. Research approaches for compression of digital content (audio/video) 2/1/01-4/1/017b. Select compression methodology 4/1/01-6/1/017c. Test in pilot courses (Liberal Arts) 9/1/01-12/15/017d. Modify based on user feedback 12/1/01-1/15/027e. Test in production courses 1/15/02-5/15/027f Modify based on user feedback 5/1/02-7/1/02

8. Using Pharmacy courses as a pilot within the UT System, shift videoconferencing-based courses from T1 to IP-based transmission using caching services

$67,000 (items 30-31)in kind: $46,875

8a. Specify and order caching servers 6/1/01-7/1/018b. Order network equipment to improve bandwidth in Pharmacy Building 2/1/01-4/1/018c. Install network equipment and perform acceptance testing 4/1/01-6/1/018d. Utilize caching servers in pilot testing of courses between Austin and

San Antonio9/1/01-12/15/02

8e. Utilize caching servers in production testing 1/15/02-5/15/02



9. Document costs of production for each academic course and each training course using the automated lecture archiving method

$0in kind: $15,000

9a. Evaluate costs of content development (including multimedia) for each course and each training course

5/1/01-12/1/01

9b. Evaluate costs for production versions of courses 3/1/02-5/1/02

10. Evaluate effectiveness of technology-enhanced learning as a way of delivering universal IT and IR training to 50,000 students at UT Austin

$0in kind: $22,500

10a. Determine criteria and methodology for course evaluations 10/1/01-12/1/0110b. Operate parallel sections of Spanish and Politics courses for evaluation

of distance education format1/15/02-5/15/02

10c. Course evaluation by participating students 4/1/02-6/1/02


FORM 17: EVALUATION PLAN

Applicants must include the following information in their evaluation plan: * Who is responsible for conducting the evaluation plan; * Defined evaluation criteria that relates to stated objectives; * How evaluation data will be collected throughout the life of the project; * How evaluation data will be analyzed; * How evaluation data will be reported and used to improve project.


The overall purpose of the evaluation activities in this project is as follows:

1. to validate the needs analysis assumption that successful e-learning must be efficient in

its use of human and capital resources, as well as simple to establish, replicate and

maintain.

2. to confirm or revise the product specifics of the selected e-learning solution.

3. to confirm or revise e-learning course development strategies.

4. to determine student, faculty, and technical staff reactions.

5. to assess faculty acceptance and use of e-learning solution.

6. to assess student acceptance of and use of e-learning course.

7. to assess faculty, staff and student attitude toward and use of training and reference

service

8. to determine if project goals and objectives are met.

The e-learning Project Management Team has responsibility for managing all evaluation

activities. Instrument selection and data collection will be done in collaboration with the professional

staff of the UT Austin Measurement and Evaluation Center

(http://www.utexas.edu/academic/mec/research/index.html) as well as with the ACITS Statistical Services

group (http://www.utexas.edu/cc/stat/consult/ ) and the Office of Survey Research

(http://communication.utexas.edu/OSR/about.html), all of whom will assure that correct and useful

instruments are deployed and that the data is useful for both formative and summative evaluation. This

expertise will be provided at no cost to the project.

The e-learning Project Management Team also will monitor and track progress on each of the 10

project objectives and regularly report progress status to the Provost and Project Steering Committee.

Information from the various evaluation activities and status reports will be regularly commicated to all

staff involved in the project and monthly meetings will be devoted to discussion of ways in which aspects

of the project need to be changed or improved.

The monitoring, review and evaluation process will include project outcome data that will

summarize the various activities undertaken to satisfy the objectives as well as documentation to support

and confirm satisfactory completion of the objectives. Project objectives will not be considered to be met

until associated evaluation questions have been satisfactorily answered and supporting evidence included

in the written progress reports. That report will be made available through a public Web site.


http://communication.utexas.edu/OSR/about.html

http://www.utexas.edu/cc/stat/consult/

http://www.utexas.edu/academic/mec/research/index.html


The data collection methods for these metrics will include a variety of instruments, some of

which will be administered, while others will consist of observable or programmatic meta data.

Objective Metrics

1. Develop prototype asynchronous learning

courses in Pharmacy, Spanish, and Texas Politics

that utilize streaming media.

faculty satisfaction, student satisfaction, impact

on enhanced learning vs. baseline courses,

resources to develop each module, usability, vs.

baseline courses accessibility, frequency of use,

location of use

2. Develop a range of training courses using

streaming media on information technology and

information resources for just in time learning for

all UT Austin students.

course evaluations by students, instructor self-

sufficiency, frequency of use by students (online

training), baseline frequency and satisfaction,

ease of use of instructor template

3. Develop a prototype Web-based presentation

that utilizes archived lectures with streaming

audio/video, PowerPoint slides, and chat/discussion

features.

ease of use to develop online module, compare

performance and usability of UT version with

commercial product (baseline), staff time for

course development, effect of bandwidth on

performance

4. Test automated classroom design and

operations, including live video recording using

camera tracking technology and course

management software.

test range of Cameraman, permitted instructor

movement, focus

5. Develop lecture archiving procedures and

delivery via three server platforms (Sun, NT,

Apple).

staff effort for archiving each lecture, faculty

ease of use with template and cameraman,

student accessibility of archives (frequency of

use), student satisfaction

6. Upgrade network architecture in order to handle

widespread audio/video streaming.

maximum number of video streams handled by

network (loading), average streaming traffic

(baseline and at end of project), number of

users, on-campus vs. off-campus users



7. Develop and test three asynchronous learning

formats: high bandwidth (on campus), low

bandwidth (dial-up access), and MPEG

(downloadable).

effect of bandwidth on class videos, minimum

bandwidth for fidelity (baseline), user

evaluation

8. Using Pharmacy courses, shift

videoconferencing-based courses from T1 to IP-

based transmission using caching services.

bandwidth requirements and cost for baseline

circuit-switched vs. packets, response of system,

effect on student satisfaction

9. Document costs of production for each

academic course and each training course using the

automated lecture archiving method.

staff time, equipment cost, instructor time, other

resources

10. Evaluate effectiveness of technology-enhanced

learning as a way of delivering IT and IR training

to the 50,000 students at UT Austin.

student course evaluation, learning criteria for

comparison with traditional course format

(baseline)


FORM 18: BUDGET PLAN(one page)

Describe how the applicant organization will maintain financial records for the grant. Briefly discuss features of the proposal which enhance cost-effectiveness of the project such as matching funds and in-kind contributions; how the proposal builds upon existing resource base and how funds from other sources will be used in conjunction with grant funds. Indicate how participating organizations will share resources (e.g., training, multimedia resources, personnel).


UT Austin spends over $80 million dollars every year on telecommunications and delivery of

electronic information. Of that total approximately one-fourth is dedicated to enriching the instructional

program in the colleges and in academic computing. This support is expected to gradually rise over the

next decade as technology use expands inside and outside the classroom. UT Austin successfully carried

out a $1.65 million project under the sponsorship of TIF (1999-2000). UT Austin has an accounting

system in place to track financial expenditures in grant funds. Financial accounting, record keeping, and

reporting for the TIF Board grant funds will be the responsibility of the Office of Accounting/Contracts

and Grants unit as a routine part of their operations.

In this proposal, we are requesting funding to upgrade our network and server infrastructure and

digital video production hardware and software in order to speed video processing and greatly increase

both the quality and quantity of video in each application. The necessary equipment is presented in

Schedule E. The budget requested is $759,151 plus $76,000 in local matching funds and $656,250 in in-

kind contributions. We estimate that the local and in-kind staff support required to carry out the project

are as follows:

Networking 0.5 FTE (in kind)

Servers 0.5 FTE (in kind)

Information resources training modules 0.5 FTE (local funds)

Information technology training modules 0.5 FTE (local funds)

Module template development 1.0 FTE (in kind)

Instructional design and technology assistance 1.0 FTE (in kind)

Liberal Arts (Spanish, Texas Politics) 2.0 FTE (in kind)

Pharmacy Multimedia content 2.0 FTE (in kind)

About three FTEs, will be required to support the project in subsequent years. These staff

requirements will be provided by ACITS, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Pharmacy.

The University is also working on alliances with the private sector in order to obtain additional

resources, and is actively engaged with several major technology companies: Apple, Cisco Systems,

Dell, and Microsoft are key relationships. We are pursuing future grant opportunities with these

companies. Federal and foundation grants and contracts are another option.


FORM 19: BUDGET SUMMARY

Applicant Name: The University of Texas at Austin, Academic Computing and Instructional

Technology Services

BUDGET SCHEDULETIFB Funds

Local Funds* In-Kind* Total

A. Personnel 0 $57,000 $656,250 $713,250

B. Contractual Services 0 0 0.00

C. Travel 0 0 0.00

D. Supplies and Materials 0 0 0.00

E. Equipment $759,151 $19,000 $778,151

TOTAL DIRECT EXPENSES $759,151 $76,000 $656,250 $1,491,401

Program Income (if known)

*Please Identify Source:

Source Amount

Local Funds: Information Technology Fee - $76,000Student fee to the applied to Items A and E. In-Kind Funds: contributed labor from ACITS, College of Liberal Arts and College of Pharmacy $656,250

NOTE: TIFB Funds should contain Direct Costs only. No indirect costs can be included.

I approve the budget for this project and agree to abide by all financial guidelines.

Signature of Financial Officer Signature of Authorized Official

Typed or Printed Name and Title Typed or Printed Name and Title

Mr. Louis Chavarria, Manager, Contracts and Grants Wayne K. Kuenstler, Director, Office of Sponsored

Projects

Date: December 11, 2000 Date: December 11, 2000


SCHEDULE A – PERSONNEL

Applicant Name The University of Texas at Austin, Academic Computing and Instructional

Technology Services

Type of Expense Quantity/ Duration

TIFB Funds Local Funds In-KindTotal

a. Substitutes b. Stipends c. Library Assistant II .5 FTE/18

mos $28,000 $28,000

d. Media Coordinator .5 FTE/18 mos.

$29,000 $29,000

e. Network Engineer .5 FTE/18 mos.

$56,250 $56,250

f. Sr. Oper Sys. Spec. .5 FTE/18 mos.

$56,250 $56,250

g. Systems Analyst 1 FTE/18 mos.

$93,750 $93,750

h. Systems Analyst 1 FTE/18 mos.

$75,000 $75,000

i. Systems Analyst (Lib Arts)

2 FTE/18 mos.

$187,500 $187,500

J Systems Analyst (Pharmacy)

2 FTE/18 mos.

$187,500 $187,500

Total Direct Expense $57,000 $656,250 $713,250.00

Note: Using the Justification Attachment form, justify and briefly describe the basis for arriving at the

cost of each line item, including the type of service, number of hours, and rate per hour.




Mr. Louis Chavarria, Manager Mr. Wayne K. Kuenstler, Director

Contracts and Grants Sponsored Projects

Date December 11, 2000 Date December 11, 2000


BUDGET SCHEDULE A – PERSONNEL

JUSTIFICATION ATTACHMENT


The salaries for staff being hired (local funds) and staff on board to support the project (in-kind) were

derived as follows:

FTE Salary Fringe % Fringe Total/18mo TOTAL

Local Funds

Library Assistant II 0.5 $29,866 0.25 $7,467 $55,999 $28,000

Media Coordinator 0.5 $30,933 0.25 $7,733 $57,999 $29,000

Subtotal – Local Funds $57,000

In-Kind Contributions

Network Engineer 0.5 $60,000 0.25 $15,000 $112,500 $56,250

Sr Oper Sys Spec - Servers 0.5 $60,000 0.25 $15,000 $112,500 $56,250

Sys Analyst - Module template

dev. 1 $50,000 0.25 $12,500 $93,750 $93,750

Sys Analyst - Instructional

Design 1 $40,000 0.25 $10,000 $75,000 $75,000

Sys Analyst (Lib Arts) 2 $50,000 0.25 $12,500 $93,750 $187,500

Sys Analyst - Pharmacy 2 $50,000 0.25 $12,500 $93,750 $187,500

Subtotal – In-Kind $656,250

GRAND TOTAL $713,250


SCHEDULE B – CONTRACTUAL SERVICES

APPLICANT NAME

Type of Expense Quantity/ Duration

TIFB Funds Local Funds In-Kind Total

Section 1: Telecommunications a. Monthly ISP Fees $0.00b. Monthly Line Charges $0.00c. $0.00d. $0.00e. $0.00 Total Section 1 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Section 2: Project Managementa. Project Design/Management $0.00b. $0.00c. $0.00d. $0.00 Total Section 2 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Section 3: Traininga. TIFTech Training $0.00b. $0.00c. $0.00d. $0.00 Total Section 3 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

TOTAL DIRECT EXPENSES SECTION 1 + 2 + 3 =

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Note: Using the Justification Attachment form, justify and briefly describe the basis for arriving at the cost of each line item, including the type of service, number of hours, rate per hour, and travel costs for consultants, if any.I approve the budget for this project and agree to abide by all financial guidelines.


Typed or Printed Name and Title Typed or Printed Name and Title Date Date


SCHEDULE C – TRAVEL

APPLICANT NAME

Type of Expense TIFB Funds Local Funds In-Kind Total

a. Transportation $0.00

b. Lodging 0.00

c. Meals 0.00

TOTAL DIRECT

EXPENSE

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Note: Using the Justification Attachment form, justify and briefly describe the basis for arriving at the

cost of each line item. Describe the applicant’s travel policy (i.e., mileage and per diem reimbursement

rates). Specify purpose for each item of travel. Break out costs of each trip to separately show the

specific costs of transportation and per diem.




Date Date


SCHEDULE D – SUPPLIES & MATERIALS

APPLICANT NAME The University of Texas at Austin

Type of Expense Quantity

TIFB Funds Local Funds In-Kind Total

Section 1: Software a. Web Authoring 7 5,800 19,000 0 24,800b. Operating System 0c. Web Server 2 12,000 0 12,000d. E-mail 0e. Anti-Virus 0f. 0g. 0 Total Section 1 17,800 19,000 0 36,800

Section 2: Othera. Equipment Rack 0b. 0c. 0d. 0e. 0 Total Section 2 0 0 0 0

TOTAL DIRECT EXPENSES SECTION 1 + 2 =

17,800 19,000 0 36,800

Note: Using the Justification Attachment form, justify and briefly describe the basis for arriving at the cost of each line item. See Section 4, Page 3 of the Application Guide for additional information.


_________________________________

_________________________________________Signature of Financial Officer Signature of Authorized Official



Louis Chavarria, Manager, Contracts and Grants Wayne K. Kuenstler, Director of Sponsored Projects

Date___________________________ Date _________________________________

BUDGET SCHEDULE D – SUPPLIES & MATERIALS


Item # Quantity Section 1: Software Cost

a. Web Authoring

1 1 Final Cut Pro Video Editing Software - CIT $500

2 1 Bias Peak Audio Editing Software (5pak) - CIT $2,500

3 4 Licenses for Authoring Software for SMIL (GRINS) ($700 ea.) - CIT $2,800

c. Web Server

4 2 RealServer 100-stream license upgrade $6,000 ea.) - ACITS $12,000

Total Section 1 (TIFB Funds) $17,800

a. Web Authoring

5 1

Horizon Live Software (for video streaming plus slides) - CIT $19,000

Total Local Funds $19,000

Grand Total Supplies and Materials $36.800


OVERALL GRANT BUDGET SUMMARYSCHEDULE E – EQUIPMENT / FIXED ASSETS

APPLICANT NAME: The University of Texas at Austin

Type of Expense Quantity TIF Funds Local Funds TotalSection 1: Network Hardware

a. CSU/DSU $0

b. Hub 0

c. Router 3 $350,000 $350,000

d. Ethernet Switch 1 $7,000 $7,000

e. UPS 0

Total Section 1 $357,000 $0 $357,000

Section 2: Distance Learning Hardware

a. Permanent Room Solution $0

b. Portable Room Solution 0

c. Desktop Solution 0

d. Gateway 0

e. Document Camera 0

f. MCU 0

g. IMUX 0

h. Smart Board 0

Total Section 2 $0 $0 $0

Section 3: Computer Hardware

a. Server 13 $163,024 $163,024

b. Workstations

1) Desktop 1 $6,500 $6,500

2) Laptop 0

c.Disk Drives/Storage 6 $154,778 $154,778

Total Section 3 $324,302 $0 $324,302

Section 4: Cabling and Supplies

a. Wiring & Associated Costs $0

Total Section 4 $0 $0 $0

Section 5: Other Equipment

a. Digital Camera 4 $25,000 $25,000

b. Scanner 0 0

c. Networked Printer 0 0

d. Presentation Monitor 1 $350 $350

e. Projector 1 $5,300 $5,300

f. A/V Editing Production HW 13 $29,399 $29,399


Total Section 5 $60,049 $0 $60,049

TOTAL DIRECT EXPENSES SECTION 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +5=

$741,351$0

$741,351

Note: Using the Justification Attachment form, justify and briefly describe the basis for arriving at the cost of each line item. See Section 4, Page 3 of the Application Guide for additional information.


BUDGET SCHEDULE E – EQUIPMENT / FIXED ASSETS


e-Learning through Enhanced Access to Distance Education Resources(e-LEADER)

Item # Quantity Description Cost

Section 1: Network Hardware

c. Router

1 3Juniper M10 Core Routers and Spares to handle 100 video streams on campus to upgrade UT network capacity by 10x $350,000

d. Ethernet Switch

2 1 Switch (Pharmacy) to remove bandwidth limitation for video conferencing $7,000

Total Section 1 $357,000

Section 3: Computer Hardwarea. Server

37 Apple G4 OS X Video Servers ($6,254 ea.) to serve video content from Liberal

Arts, Pharmacy and Center for Instructional Technologies $43,778

42 PowerPC G4, Dual 500MHz, 256MB, 40GB storage ($3,600 ea.) video server for

central facility $7,200

51 Silicon Graphics Origin 200, 2X270Mhz, 256MB, 91GB storage, MediaBase

(video server for central facility) $29,046

6 1 Sun Enterprise 220R, 2x450Mhz, 2GB, 36GB storage for central facility $23,000

72 Cisco IP/TV Caching servers ($30,000 each) for Pharmacy distance education

(Austin and San Antonio) $60,000

c. Workstation

8 1 Apple G4 Desktop for video production and editing- CIT $6,500

e. Disk Drives/Storage

9 1 Medea Video RAID Drive (120GB) for video production and editing - CIT $2,300

10 1 Medea Video RAID Drive (60GB) for video production and editing - CIT $1,150

111 Glyph Fiber Channel Storage Area Network for 6 Servers to store course content

(Liberals Arts) $44,528

12 1 Fiber Channel RAID Storage (Liberal Arts servers) $22,800

131 Network Applicance model 740 file server with 70GB storage for archiving

lectures (central facility) $64,000

14 1 Additional 100GB storage for NA 740 file server (central facility) $20,000


Section 5: Other Equipment

a. Digital Camera

15 1 Canon XL1 Camera for video production and editing - CIT $4,000

163 CameraMan Systems for automatic tracking of instructor for video production

and editing - CIT $21,000

d. Presentation Monitor

17 1 Panasonic Monitor/Receiver color 20" for video production and editing - CIT $350

e. Projector


18 1 Infocus Projector (LP 755) for video production and editing - CIT $5,300

f. A/V Editing & Production Hardware

192 ICE Hardware Video Compression Accelerators and Software ($6,499 ea.) for

Liberal Arts servers $12,998

203 Media 100 ile/DV Video Editing Suites (Hardware and Software) ($2,995 ea.) for

Liberal Arts course content development $8,985

21 1 Aurora Video Card (Igniter Base) for video production and editing - CIT $1,149

22 1 VST FireWire Drive for video production and editing - CIT $400

23 1 Wireless Microphone System for video production and editing - CIT $600

24 1 Panasonic DV Deck (AG-DV2000) for video production and editing - CIT $3,000

25 1 Mackie Mixing Board (1402-VLZ Pro) for video production and editing - CIT $600

261 Pair of Microphones PZM (Audiotechnica AT -837 R) for video production and

editing - CIT $568

271 Microphone Shotgun (Audiotechnica AT 815 B) for video production and editing

- CIT $299

28 1 Light Soft Kit (S2-91) Lowel Light for video production and editing - CIT $800


Grand Total Equipment $741,351

Appendix B

Form 25: Application Checklist

FORM: 25: APPLICATION CHECKLIST

FORM 1: HIGHER EDUCATION COVER PAGE

FORM 3: DESIGNATION OF GRANT OFFICIALS

FORM 4: CERTIFIED ASSURANCES

FORM 5: TABLE OF CONTENTS




FORM 9: STATE OF EXISTING CONDITIONS


FORM 11: SYSTEM, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND NETWORK

FORM 15: SUSTAINABILITY/SECURITY FUNDING



FORM 18: BUDGET PLAN

FORM 19: BUDGET SUMMARY FORM

SCHEDULE A: PERSONNEL


SCHEDULE B: CONTRACTUAL SERVICES

SCHEDULE C: TRAVEL

SCHEDULE D: SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS

SCHEDULE E: EQUIPMENT/FIXED ASSETS

FORM 25: APPLICATION CHECKLIST (see Appendix B)

Organization Name: The University of Texas at Austin, Academic Computing and Telecommunications Services

By: _________________________________________________ Signature – Project Director

Thomas F. Edgar___________________________________Typed or Printed Name

Associate Vice President_____________________________Title

APPENDIX C: Resumes of Project Participants


FORM 1: HIGHER EDUCATION COVER PAGE

Documents

assessment13 form

project timeline44 form

table of contents6 form

citizens of texas

primary project goal

total project cost

ut austin

email address