H.264 QoS and Application Performance with Different Streaming Protocols
Streaming techniques, including the selected streaming protocol, have an effect on the streaming quality. In this study, the performance of three different streaming protocols in a disturbed communication channel is evaluated with a modified version of the FFPlay player. A H.264 encoded video is used as a test sequence. The number of displayed image frames, the frame rate and playout duration are used as objective metrics for QoS. The metrics brings out differences of streaming protocols in our test environment. They are measured at the application level and have a connection to the user experience. peerReviewed
The Role of the Learning Styles in Blended Learning
Education that is in line with the blended model and carried out with the help of videos enables, above all, flexible participation in study. Various participation modes enabled by video are suitable for different kinds of learners. The interaction when study ing with videos differs from that in face-to-face teaching. Among other things, videos allow pauses in study and enable study in peace. This study examines the role of various learning preferences, so-called learning styles, in blended learning. The study is based on a learning style mapping made for students and on data collected over several years about their study participation styles in education that is in accordance with the blen…
The Role of Log Entries in the Quality Control of Video Distribution
Diversification of university teaching with the help of video lectures has become much more common during the past few years. Once videos have become an essential part of teaching arrangements, whoever organizes the teaching must also pay attention to factors related to videos in quality system work for teaching. In the video production process it is the factors related to video transmission that exert influence on the usability of videos and set limitations for their production. A lot of information about those factors can be obtained from the media server log files. The particular focus of this paper is on the functionality of the connection between a server and a client and its effect on…
Self-directed Learning in Distance Education
This full research paper studies the significance of self-directed learning (SDL) in distance education. A literature review revealed many characteristics related to SDL that are important to success in distance education. The self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) levels of 124 students were gathered for this research, and the results were compared between contact and distance learners. The effect of gender on SDLR and the relationship between SDLR and preference for distance education were examined. There was no statistical difference in SDLR levels between women and men but indicators of self-directed learners’ preferences for distance learning were found. In addition, the SDLR scale sc…
INTEGRATED VIRTUAL CINETCAMPUS STUDIES ENVIRONMENT
Rapid growth of data communications and technologies has created favorable conditions for a strong increase in the number of videos produced for education especially in higher education institutes. New technologies make the production of videos suitable for teaching very easy. With the help of videos, it is possible to improve flexibility and diversity in teaching. On the other hand, the management and distribution of videos has often been realized separately from other applications (e.g., learning management systems) which are used in teaching. This makes their full utilization difficult and creates extra work. This article introduces the CiNetCampus environment designed for teaching with …
Network Capacity Estimators Predicting QoE in HTTP Adaptive Streaming
The aim of adaptive HTTP streaming technology is preserving the best possible video streaming quality for viewers in heterogeneous network conditions. This can be achieved by making multiple quality versions of the video available. Switching between versions during playback should be imperceptible and fluent. The decision about quality-level switching is typically based on network capacity estimation and buffer occupancy, which predict the risk of stalling. Since quality-level switching and stalling are directly evident to the user, they are often classified as influence factors of quality of experience (QoE). In this paper, we observe different network capacity estimators and buffer behavi…
The effect of time and place dependence when utilizing video lectures
In many learning institutes, diversification of teaching with the help of various technologies has become an essential part of educational arrangements. With the increase in the use of networks for teaching purposes, the use of streaming videos is now one of the possibilities to be reckoned with in trying to increase flexibility in studies. Specially recorded on-demand videos provide the students with better chances to decide when, where and how to study. Information on how students use on-demand videos can be obtained, apart from student questionnaires, from the log files of a media server. These files offer an information source that, on the one hand, is diverse but, on the other, cumbers…
Raising Awareness of Students’ Self-Directed Learning Readiness (SDLR)
This paper describes the mapping of self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) for adult students applying for a master’s degree program delivered entirely as distanced learning. Since SDLR is strongly linked to both adult learning and online education, developing of self-directed learning (SDL) skills should be taken into consideration in our degree program. Making future students aware of SDLR is the first stage in introducing self-directed learning methods and practices in learning environments. The easiest way to do this is to have students answer an SDLR self-assessment questionnaire and give them feedback regarding their SDLR level. This paper presents how this is realized and provides t…
Flipped Learning Experiment in Video-Based Education
Videos intended for educational use have increased significantly in recent years. This is partly due to the increasing use of videos for entertainment purposes, as well as an increase in broadband connections. Educational videos may include short video clips, screen capture videos or, for example, recordings from the classroom teaching situation. Videos can be utilized in revising, for compensating absences, making teaching more flexible or for developing presentation skills. The recording also enables the re-use of lectures. This allows completely new types of educational solutions, such as the implementation of flipped learning. In flipped learning, activities traditionally carried out in…
Learning styles module as a part of a virtual campus
For several years now, learning style mapping has been carried out for our students of the master's degree education in information technology. To better utilize learning styles in practice, a learning style module was integrated into the multimedia platform used in the education. The learning style module serves both the student and the educator. The goal was to create an application which, in the long run, would diversify the learning environment and make learning more efficient. This study describes the functioning and integration of the learning style application. The deployment of the application is monitored by collecting statistics of its use and feedback of its usability and usefuln…
Diversification of adult education with the help of video lectures
For some years now, adult education and working while studying have had an important role in the modern society. Mature-age study brings with it some special features, such as time use limitations, which must be taken into account when creating educational programmes for the students concerned. Above all, flexibility must become a major feature of participation in education. In relation to the Master Studies in Mathematical Information Technology at Kokkola University Consortium, the aim for some years now has been to increase that flexibility by diversifying traditional lecture teaching with the help of real-time and on-demand video lectures. With the help of the results presented in this …
On the Students' QoS-Awareness of Video Lectures
Video lectures bring flexibility and enable distance learning in education. With the help of videos, educational organizations are able to serve a wider and more heterogeneous group of students. As streaming videos have become essential part of teaching in higher education, quality of service (QoS) issues should be taken more into consideration. However, systematic quality monitoring of video lecture delivery, to our knowledge, is rarely used in a way that would provide also the student with quality information. This paper describes our ongoing research on developing a streaming video quality evaluation tool integrated in a learning environment that our master’s students use. The tool serve…
Using WMS log files as an indicator of QoS and application performance in on-demand streaming videos
When utilizing video streaming for professional purposes, the quality of service needs to be evaluated by the service provider. This is the case especially when the service must be available for a large number of customers with a wide range of network interfaces and terminal equipment. Service providers have usually information about network-level metrics. However, the problem is that conditions that appear similar in a networklevel may cause very different responses in an application level, and the other way round. In this article, we study how Windows Media Server's log files can be used to evaluate the QoS of video transmission, and we also examine the application level performance based…
How Do Students Blend Their Studies Based on Time and Place?
The flexibility of participating in education can be improved by utilising lecture videos. By producing videos of contact teaching lectures and offering them to students as real-time videos and recordings, opens up new participation opportunities regarding time and place. This study examines an environment in which students can freely choose their mode of participation for each individual lecture. The objective has been to identify possible changes in participation by looking at participations between 2008–2012 and in 2017. According to the results, teaching bound to a specific location has disappeared almost entirely. Participation in teaching is instead mostly done using videos. Students …