Research Testbed Networks: Practical Tools for Service Delivery?
- Wertlen, Ronald R, Siebörger, Ingrid, Tsietsi, Mosiuoa, Shibeshi, Zelalem S, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Wertlen, Ronald R , Siebörger, Ingrid , Tsietsi, Mosiuoa , Shibeshi, Zelalem S , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429204 , vital:72567 , https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2012.tb00351.x
- Description: The Telkom Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Rhodes University, housed in the Computer Science department was opened in 1997. The CoE's focus on Distributed multimedia service platforms soon showed that the technology being researched could be applied in the disadvantaged peri‐urban communities. The CoE has thus concentrated its research on building a testbed network that delivers real services to real users. In 2007, the testbed was extended to include a marginalised rural area in the Siyakhula Living Lab. The greatest factor in the sustainability of the CoE testbed network has been maintaining usefulness to all the stakeholders over the last 12 years. Industrial funding, University outreach goals and research goals could all be harmonised, while sustaining the delivery of high quality informatics services in the community. This paper presents a brief case study of the communications network testbed and how it was applied to the Development Informatics space. It analyses the roles played by stakeholders in either assisting and sustaining or obstructing the service delivery. It makes key recommendations on best practices for research networks that can also bring informatics to disadvantaged communities. It shows how testbeds for the research of new technologies can be designed so as to allow Development Informatics work to take place on such networks.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Wertlen, Ronald R , Siebörger, Ingrid , Tsietsi, Mosiuoa , Shibeshi, Zelalem S , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429204 , vital:72567 , https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2012.tb00351.x
- Description: The Telkom Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Rhodes University, housed in the Computer Science department was opened in 1997. The CoE's focus on Distributed multimedia service platforms soon showed that the technology being researched could be applied in the disadvantaged peri‐urban communities. The CoE has thus concentrated its research on building a testbed network that delivers real services to real users. In 2007, the testbed was extended to include a marginalised rural area in the Siyakhula Living Lab. The greatest factor in the sustainability of the CoE testbed network has been maintaining usefulness to all the stakeholders over the last 12 years. Industrial funding, University outreach goals and research goals could all be harmonised, while sustaining the delivery of high quality informatics services in the community. This paper presents a brief case study of the communications network testbed and how it was applied to the Development Informatics space. It analyses the roles played by stakeholders in either assisting and sustaining or obstructing the service delivery. It makes key recommendations on best practices for research networks that can also bring informatics to disadvantaged communities. It shows how testbeds for the research of new technologies can be designed so as to allow Development Informatics work to take place on such networks.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An Asterisk-based framework for E-learning using open protocols and open source software
- Tsietsi, Mosiuoa, Shibeshi, Zelalem S, Terzoli, Alfredo, Wells, George C
- Authors: Tsietsi, Mosiuoa , Shibeshi, Zelalem S , Terzoli, Alfredo , Wells, George C
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429091 , vital:72559 , https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5338904
- Description: This paper describes the conceptual design of an e-learning system that is based on open protocols and open source software. This is an initial step towards providing a framework within which remote lectures at our university can be conducted with other institutions in the Southern African region. The motivation for this effort is born out of a desire to avoid expensive and inflexible commercial tools that have been used in the past, often with undesirable side effects. Our design promises to deliver most of the features that can be expected of a modern e-learning system such as a Web interface, space for lecture material, real-time audio and video support, instant messaging and the ability to convey presence. We identified two modes of operation, one as a Web-based video archive and the other as a live virtual classroom. It is hoped that this dual-mode setup will support different modes of learning for students and suit different bandwidth resources among institutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Tsietsi, Mosiuoa , Shibeshi, Zelalem S , Terzoli, Alfredo , Wells, George C
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429091 , vital:72559 , https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5338904
- Description: This paper describes the conceptual design of an e-learning system that is based on open protocols and open source software. This is an initial step towards providing a framework within which remote lectures at our university can be conducted with other institutions in the Southern African region. The motivation for this effort is born out of a desire to avoid expensive and inflexible commercial tools that have been used in the past, often with undesirable side effects. Our design promises to deliver most of the features that can be expected of a modern e-learning system such as a Web interface, space for lecture material, real-time audio and video support, instant messaging and the ability to convey presence. We identified two modes of operation, one as a Web-based video archive and the other as a live virtual classroom. It is hoped that this dual-mode setup will support different modes of learning for students and suit different bandwidth resources among institutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
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