PROJECT TITLE
Applications of QuickTime VR in K -12 Education
DESCRIPTION
We will examine the use of QuickTime VR (QTVR) software, in context to how this distance education tool can be utilized by a wide range of programs to reach an extended audience.
Apple Computers, Inc. has developed a whole family of QuickTime products. Many people are familiar with QuickTime, which is a format for developing and delivering multimedia applications. QuickTime is a program that content developers use to capture, edit, and embed the multimedia application into a web site, or another computer based program. QuickTime video movies can also have sound attached. Another member of the family is QuickDraw, a 3D rendering program that enables creation of a 3D object. The topic of this presentation is QuickTime VR, (QTVR) the latest member of the family. It is used to create a 360-degree panoramic picture, which is really just a series of pictures "stitched" into a movie. It can also be used to create a picture of an object that can be viewed from all sides, which is another type of movie that the program produces. Apple is calling this program "VR" because it is a similar to "virtual reality."
The reason that QuickTime has become so popular is that the programs, although they can only be authored or created on a Mac, can be embedded into many applications, especially websites. The software required to view the movies is available to anyone, absolutely free, and can be downloaded in a few minutes from the Apple website. Once the user has this software, called a "plug-in," then the movies can be viewed on any computer. In other words, the application is "multiplatform."
QuickTime VR software allows people to construct three-dimensional representations of objects from two-dimensional photographs. It is our proposal that QTVR is a wide reaching educational tool that can be used not only in a large variety of locations, but also in a large variety of situations. Recent innovations in QTVR technology have allowed users to be able to download panoramic of Mars (the Pathfinder Mission, July 1997), as well as full coverage of news stories (abcnews.com). Other examples of QTVR usage include CD-ROM media that help students grasp difficult and abstract concepts by making them visual and animated.
NAMES OF AUTHORS
Tehmina Hyder
Brian Moore
Paulette Platko
TARGET AUDIENCE & LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS
This training project is intended for teachers (K -12) who are interested in uses of virtual reality. This training program will put emphasis on how QuickTime VR is used not only by software manufacturers, but also web designers to convey otherwise abstract information. Therefore, our intended audience would be educators, as well as others who could use this tool to better distribute information. Learners are expected to have some working knowledge of computers, although their knowledge does not need to be advanced.
LEARNER OBJECTIVES
After using this training tool, learners will be able to:
- Familiarize themselves with the nuances of QTVR development
- Develop a QTVR panorama
- Develop a QTVR three dimensional object movie
- Identify ways in which QTVR can be utilized in the classroom
- Utilize applications and web sites that support QTVR
- Incorporate the many uses of QTVR into their lessons
- Evaluate the effectiveness of QTVR as a learning tool
DISTANCE DELIVERY TECHNOLOGIES
The primary method of delivering the training will be a text document that can be posted on the class web site. It will have links to sites that are examples, or demonstrations, of the points we are making. We will also prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the class presentation. This show can be posted on the web, and will be a quick overview of the text document.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES
Formative Evaluation
Instructions: After completing the training project, please answer these questions. The results will help us improve the project. Thank you.
1.) Has the program helped you to understand what QTVR is? Please elaborate.
2.) So far, has the program helped you to understand how QTVR works? Please elaborate.
3.) So far, has the program helped you to determine ways in which you can use QTVR at school or work? Please elaborate.
4.) Any suggestions about how we can improve this program?
Summative Evaluation
Instructions: After completing the training project, please answer these questions. Your results will provide an evaluation of how well you understand the material.
1.) Basically, how does QTVR work? What hardware/software requirements are needed to use this software?
2.) How could you utilize QTVR in your workplace or school? Do you think this is an important tool for your field?
3.) After using this program, have you explored any QTVR driven materials available for you to utilize in your field? If so elaborate.
4.) Were you satisfied by this training program? Would you like to make any comments for the future?
5.) Any other comments?
SEQUENCE
This training would be an appropriate segment in a larger training program about Multimedia Development. It would come after learning about basics like audio, video, graphics and text. After learning about the basics, then students might advance to a unit about ADVANCED APPLICATIONS OF MULTIMEDIA MOVIES, and this lesson would be included within that category.
This training package could also be used alone, by learners already familiar with multimedia, to enhance current knowledge about the subject area.
REFERENCES
Apple Computer Inc. (1998). Products: QuickTime [Online]. Available: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/
Empty Street Productions. (1998, April 20). Virtual earth [Online]. Available: http://www.virtualearth.com/
Illinois Geographic Alliance Workshop, Illinois State University. (1997, July). Lessons developed [Online]. Available: http://www.its.ilstu.edu/igaw97/INTROLP.html
PBS Online. (1997). Producer: WGBH Science Unit. Nova online adventure: Pyramids, the inside story [Online]. Available: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/
Surf Driver. (1998, March 24,). Surf Driver [Online]. Available: http://surfdriver.ml.org/
U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). (1998, April). Images and animations from the visible human project [Online]. Available: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/visible_gallery.html
TRAINING PROJECT (Report)
General Overview
What is QuickTime and QuickTime VR?
QuickTime is a cross-platform standard that allows extremely high quality, photographed or rendered 3D environments or objects to be played back in real-time on low-end computers. QuickTime VR is a related program that produces a type of "virtual reality".
This technology of Quick Time Virtual Reality allows computer users to easily create and view either a panorama from a 360-degree perspective or an object from all sides and is especially useful in generating computer visuals for such fields as travel, education, architecture, sales, manufacturing, real estate and art.
Benefits of QTVR:
-It can be created on both PC Windows 3.1/95/NT and Macintosh computers.
-It can be embedded into many applications, both on CD and direct on the Web page.
-It enables the content developer to easily use a creative multimedia tool.
Who developed QTVR?
Created by Apple Computer, Inc. in early 1995
What makes QTVR unique?
QTVR provides an opportunity for course developers to create immersive,
realistic environments using relatively inexpensive development tools.
The power of QTVR technology, however, requires an understanding of basic
photographic and geometric principles.
Educational Applications
Who can use QTVR?
QTVR is an extremely useful and easy to use tool for classroom settings, because of its ability to show situations that would not otherwise be easy to imagine. This characteristic of QTVR means that a large variety of topics can taught to students, who would otherwise struggle to visualize the information being presented. QTVR is also very useful in settings where student experience with technology is not advanced.
The potential uses of QTVR
The potential uses of QTVR are enormous, especially in a classroom setting. QuickTime Virtual Reality has its greatest potential to be used as a tool to allow students to explore topics that would otherwise be too abstract to understand -- especially if taught in a conventional environment. For example, students can explore distant places without leaving their classroom, analyze difficult to understand topics such as economics or physics, and make exploratory experiences -- such as plant and animal anatomy -- more concrete.
The capabilities of QTVR
Although it is not a true 'virtual reality' program in the sense that it cannot totally surround you with 3-D sight and sound, QTVR does allow one to take apart a three dimensional object in order to examine it. It also allows one to manipulate a two-dimensional object as if it were three-dimensional. These aspects are perhaps QTVR's greatest assets as an educational tool. QTVR's ability to examine a three-dimensional object greatly enhances the learners' grasp of abstract concepts by allowing the learners to 'play with' the object. In addition, QTVR allows the learner to be able to visualize a topic in a way that is easier to understand through the use of associative objects.
Who uses it?
Due to its capabilities, QTVR is a widely utilized program that can be used with a number of web applications, games, and reference programs. It is easily available and very easy to use.
Some examples
Examples of QTVR in use include:
- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/. This VR tour of the Egyptian pyramids helps learners to explore distant places in a fashion that allows the pyramids to become a concrete reality.
- http://www.virtualearth.com/ This site provides three-dimensional representations of different geographical locations. This is extremely useful to geography educators as a means of helping students understand the outlay of different geographical locations.
- http://surfdriver.ml.org/ Surfdriver is a downloadable software package that allows educators to put medical CT and MRI scans together to form a QTVR movie. This software would be extremely useful for physiology-anatomy and biology instructors.
- http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/visible gallery.html The National Library of Medicine is currently working one a program called the visible human project. The eventual goal of this project is to create a QTVR representation of the entire human body at 1-mm intervals, utilizing samples from actual human cadavers. Already the program has some QTVR movies available for downloading. This site is extremely applicable for biology and physiology-anatomy educators.
Using the tool
Basic Controls
There are two basic types of VR movies: panorama and object. A panorama is a movie that has 360-degree views. It allows you to look up, down, turn around, and to zoom in and out. An object movie allows you to look at a specific item from all sides, like a sculpture in a museum.
-Looking around in a panoramic movie:
Press the mouse button and drag the mouse across the image in the direction you want to look.
-Turning objects around in object movies:
Press the mouse button to grab the object and then move the object to see it from many angles.
-Zooming in and out:
Click on the buttons that look like magnifying glasses (one with a "+", one with a "-"). You must have the pointer over the image to zoom in or out.
-Moving zoomed-in objects:
(Works only in Object Movies) Zoom in or out on an object. Click on the Object Moving button. Drag the object to re-position it in the window.
Click on the Object Moving button to return to normal viewing.
Finding and Using Hot Spots
Both panoramic and object movies may have hot spots, areas that when clicked cause some other action to occur. Most frequently a hot spot links to another node (another panorama or object movie) but it may also be used to trigger any other action, such as opening a Web page or playing a sound.
There are two ways to tell where hot spots are located:
1.) Move your pointer around the movie image. When moved over a hot spot, the pointer changes from a bull’s eye to an upward-pointing "squished" arrow or a pointing hand.
2.) Press the Show Hot Spots button in the movie controller. (The button has a
Question mark above a squished arrow.) Hot spots are highlighted with
translucent blue rectangles.
If you jump to another node when you click a hot spot, the far left button in the controller will become active. This is the Hot Spot Return button. You use it to return to the precise view you were at when you clicked the hot spot that took you to the current node.
Resizing the Window
As with windows in other applications, you can use elements on a Movie Player window itself to change its size. You can resize movies to an arbitrary size by dragging the Size box, located at the lower-right corner of the window.
-To make the window larger or smaller:
Press the Size box and drag in or out.
-To optimally resize the window:
Hold the Option key while you drag the Size box.
-To resize the movie disproportionately:
Hold down the shift key while you drag the Size box.
Hardware and Software Requirements
Client
In order to be able to obtain and use the free plug-in software, the client, or the end user of the application, must have:
-a computer with at least a 486 processor,
-At least 8 megabytes of RAM (16 is preferred),
-A modern 32-bit operating systems like Windows, Mac 7.5, Unix or Linux,
-An Internet Browser with editing capabilities like MS Internet Explorer, or Netscape Gold, and
-A reliable Internet connection via TCP/IP with at least a 28.8 modem or an Ethernet card.
Server
The server computer is the computer that stores the files for the website that the QuickTime application is embedded in. The server computer must have:
-At least a 486 processor,
-At least 32 megabytes RAM (64 is preferred),
-At least a 500 megabytes hard drive (1.0 gigabytes is strongly recommended), and
-Linux, Unix, or Windows NT network operating system.
Author
The "author" or producer of the application, would need:
-Apple Power Macintosh or other Mac OS-based computer with a PowerPC processor,
-16MB of available RAM,
-Mac OS 7.5 or later
-20MB or hard disk space
-CD-ROM drive, and
-Access to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider.
Acquisition and Maintenance
Acquisition and maintenance, both for the authoring system and for the server, will include time for installation, setup and learning the program. The cost of the authoring program (Quick Time VR Authoring Studio) is $395 from Apple Computer, Inc., and it can be purchased through their website, or by calling the toll-free number, 1-800-795-1000.
The Apple QuickTime VR Authoring Studio software lets you create interactive virtual-reality scenes with point-and-click simplicity. It takes full advantage of the intuitive Mac®OS interface to help you easily turn photos and computer renderings into attention-getting 360-degree views. QuickTime VR Authoring Studio is a powerful one-stop solution for producing all kinds of QuickTime VR content.
The five modules in the QuickTime VR Authoring Studio suite cover all steps of creating an immersive environment, from controlling camera positions while taking the original photographs to blending the images together to optimizing your finished scenes for web or CD-ROM use.
There is essentially no acquisition cost to the client, since the software is downloaded free from the Apple Computer, Inc., QuickTime Products Internet site. Maintenance for the client would involve downloading again, each new edition that is available, in order to have the most up to date software.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
This will be a PowerPoint Presentation.