Graig Mantle
Click here to read the first article in this two-part series.
They were words of hope.
“Our connection to Internet2 is critical to carrying out our educational mission,” said Cal Poly President Warren Baker in 2002.
As the years passed by, however, the hope began fading away.
For the past five years, Cal Poly has been connected to Internet2, a nationwide networking consortium that connects over 200 universities at speeds 100 times faster than the commercial Internet. Finding any trace of its use, however, can be difficult.
In fact, many of those who do use it don’t even know that they are.
It may come as a surprise that the department using Internet2 the most at Cal Poly isn’t even in the College of Engineering.
The animal science department is taking advantage of the network through videoconferencing – which when streamed over Internet2, is smoother than ever before, and most importantly, free for faculty to use.
Animal science professor Jon Beckett had no idea that every week he uses Internet2 when he videoconferences with Swanton Pacific Ranch, a Cal Poly-owned educational ranch in Davenport.
“It leads to a lot better conversation . if I have a map and we need to see where something is going to happen, everyone can see it at the same time,” Beckett said.
Beckett also gave a lecture to the University of Missouri over Internet2 in April and has had a few guest lecturers broadcast to Cal Poly from schools in Colorado, Wisconsin, Missouri and others since 1999.
Animal science professor Steve Daugherty also participated in an animal science lecture that was broadcasted by Cal Poly Pomona to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fresno State University and UC Davis over Internet2.
The system isn’t perfect, however. Daugherty found that the videoconference actually inhibited interaction for his students who were watching.
“Even though the students could talk with the lecturer, they felt intimidated in stopping the process to ask a question with other campuses watching,” Daugherty said.
Both Beckett and Daugherty agree that videoconferencing is not as effective as having a lecturer in the room.
“But it’s better than not having it at all and I certainly prefer having it,” Daugherty said.
Animal science professor Matthew Burd teaches an equine biomechanics class to Cal Poly Pomona, Fresno State and UC Davis through videoconferences as well.
In the past year, Media Distribution Services has held about eight videoconferences per month, said Eric Boege, who sets up videoconferences for MDS.
MDS also sets up distance learning videoconferences and has had about four to six per quarter in the past year.
St. Jude Medical Center research centers, for example, have been taking bioengineering classes at Cal Poly through videoconferences.
“It’s just another great tool to facilitate collaboration,” said Pete Woodworth, who also sets up videoconferences for MDS.
Not all attempts to use Internet2 at Cal Poly have been successful, however.
In 2005, Cal Poly tried to set up an Internet2 videoconference with students studying abroad in the London Studies program. They couldn’t get a commitment from University College London to provide the necessary infrastructure, however, and it would have cost over $1,400 for one hour.
Other professors want to use it, but run into obstacles along the way.
Biological sciences professor Mark Moline led a team that made an underwater, remotely operated vehicle for the Cal Poly Pier in Avila Beach.
“The ROV is linked up to the Internet and its video feed streams live over the Web,” Moline said. “We can control the vehicle itself online with a joystick or a keypad.”
The only problem is that Moline is forced to stream over the commercial Internet, as there is no way currently to get a connection from Avila Beach to the Internet2 pipeline along U.S. Highway 101.
“It’s pretty sluggish when trying to move the ROV and it can be a lot harder to do without Internet2,” Moline said.
English professor David Gillette is also trying to use Internet2 with one of his projects.
Through collaboration with Australian new media artist Keith Armstrong, Gillette hopes to use Internet2 to download images and video files in real-time into Armstrong’s interactive artwork, “Intimate Transactions.”
Aside from videoconferences, Cal Poly hasn’t made huge strides with Internet2. But why not? The answer isn’t simple.
The biggest issue is simply that no one knows about it. In a poll conducted by the Mustang Daily, six professors out of 40 had heard of Internet2. Also, 19 professors out of 40 said they are aware of videoconferencing at Cal Poly.
The poll then begs the question: How can so many professors know about videoconferencing, yet so few use it?
“It’s a hassle to try and get it set up and in the past it’s been extremely expensive,” Beckett said.
Boege said the process has become smoother, but many professors don’t know that when conducted over Internet2, for example, videoconferences are free.
Scheduling can be a problem, however, because the two distance-learning rooms run by MDS can only hold about 20 people, and the demand is for a facility that can hold about 35 people.
“The problem is we need a full classroom and as the connection gets stronger, we’ll be able to take cameras into classrooms,” Boege said.
MDS has a videoconferencing promotional video on its Web site and hasn’t given up hope on getting more faculty members involved.
“It’s definitely underutilized, but we just keep trying and trying,” Boege said.
As for the lack of Internet2 use in the arts at Cal Poly, music department chair William Spiller said he would be willing to host guest lecturers for lessons or performances.
“I’m open to any use of technology that can be advantageous,” Spiller said. “Something like video master classes or guest lessons could be a wonderful opportunity to get experience with a great artist who’s not going to be in town.”
USC assistant music professor Brian Shepard, who sets up videoconference master classes with renowned artists at USC, said the reason why so few schools use Internet2, especially in music schools, comes down to faculty time and vision.
“It’s a lot of work,” Shepard said in an e-mail interview. “It takes someone who has both the time and the vision to see through to the big picture and deal with all the hurdles of getting funding, equipment, bandwidth and technical support, not to mention developing a completely new pedagogical approach.”
“We can’t do big things like USC because we don’t have long-term staff,” Gillette said. “Everybody also does about 10 different things at Cal Poly.”
Gillette said another reason could be because of the older, more conservative faculty on campus.
“Cal Poly hasn’t been doing it because we have people who have been doing what they do for a while and don’t want to change it and are cautious,” Gillette said.
As completion nears for the first building in the California Central Coast Research Partnership technology park, which intends to increase collaboration between Cal Poly and industry, increased Internet2 usage is likely.
Cal Poly might see more of Internet2 in the future as Gillette thinks it isn’t just a matter of faculty wanting Internet2, but students wanting it as well.
“The universities can try to drive it, but unless the students really get on board with it, it doesn’t really go anywhere,” Gillette said.
With an approval of the new liberal arts and engineering studies program, Gillette said the collaborative part of the program could see more use of technologies like Internet2.
“Through collaboration and using preexisting systems, we can make huge leaps,” he said.
Cal Poly’s Internet2 University Champion and computer science professor Franz Kurfess said videoconferences are an excellent start for any professor looking to get more involved.
“I believe integrating guest lecturers via video conferencing or having access to external resources via the network can augment the classroom experience significantly,” Kurfess said.
Five years after Cal Poly joined the Internet2 consortium, Kurfess said the university has seen a “moderate” response. Looking into the next five years, he hopes to see more.
“What I would really like to see is more awareness,” Kurfess said. “I would like to see people who actually want Internet2 and not just being content with whatever bandwidth and equipment and capabilities that they have here at Cal Poly.”
Thus, the new words of hope have been spoken.
Video: Cal Poly made a documentary entitled “Internet2@CalPoly” in 2003. The video echoes a hope that seems to have faded away.