erik lint

CueMark #2

call for partners

At the University of Amsterdam I’ve just started a research project called ABELmash: Annotation Based eLearning & mashups, because I want students, teachers and researchers to start writing ‘Beyond Writing’. Don’t tell them, but show them if you can.
CueMark is a part of ABELmash.
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CUEMARK is a 2.0 streaming video annotation tool for films, documentaries, concerts and performances. It’s specially designed the contextualization of video in distance learning communities, from schools up to the academic world.
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It can also be used as:
• a virtual cutting tool for play lists or video quotes
• as a tool for discussion and debates
• or as a tool for assignments and exams in a virtual classroom.

Enlarge

i-annotate02.jpg - screengrab from the proof of concept of CueMark in i-theatre.net

You can see CUES as questions or context added by students or producers of documentaries, and…
you can see MARKERS as answers or comments added by teachers and other users.
Cues and Markers are visible as tabs and attached to a scene or sequence.

Users of CUEMARK will see a single webpage containing:
1. the media player
2. the timeline with several layers
3. a drag & drop tab icon
4. and a note box for writing.

- The user starts creating a note by simply dragging and dropping tabs towards the timeline.
- You can move it, make it longer, smaller and change the colour.
- Tabs can be annotated using the note box
- Tabs can be tagged and hyperlinked.
- Each tab becomes available in MyPlaylist.
- Embedding means selecting items from MyPlaylist.
- Each layer containing these tabs can be hidden or shared.

If you Google VIDEO 2.0 you can find 500 ways to communicate over video. But these video sharing tools are NOT designed for use in a classroom. Why?

1. I don’t want to scroll vertically to be able to read the comments. I want a simple overview. So if I need to scroll, I want to scroll from left to right. From the beginning of the movie to the end. Time is horizontal.
2. Secondly: I want full admin control. I want to be able to select and deselect the layers of the timeline, just like in Photoshop. Students should not be able to see each other’s comments or the answers.
3. Thirdly: The user should to be able to tag and export tabs to a video play list for embedding in a blog or website within the community: Writing ‘Beyond Writing’.

CUEMARK is already available as a ‘proof of concept’ in the website
i-theatre.net specially created for Theatre Studies at the University of Amsterdam. It uses Sakai but it needs upgrading, preferably to an Adobe Air application build in a 2.0 learning or knowledge community.
I’m now looking for sparring partners to be able to write a project proposal for the 9th round of the Society and ICT innovation platform of the Dutch Government, called M-ICT. Please feel free to contact me at F.Lint@uva/.nl

Enlarge

i-theatreannotate.jpg - screengrab from the proof of concept of CueMark in i-theatre.net