Preparing for Internet2

Dan Gross

One of the questions I always ask is to point out that these network connections are all about two way communications, and on a previously unprecidented level. Is your institution ready (mindset) to embrace the kind of responsibility and interaction that goes along with this kind of connectivity? Are you prepared to help students sift through mountains of information and sometimes choices or does your educational model require more prescribed?

With whom do you wish to communicate and for what purpose? Communications technologies such as these require someone or something at both ends. Although your goals may quickly expand and change, it is best to approach a project like this with a particular idea and goal in mind to justify the ROI.

Do you plan to be global contributors or omnivores of information? Real learning goes beyond data retreival, while Internet2 helps create a conceptual place in space/time in which one can interact with remote resources through low latency, high bandwidth applications, (videoconferencing, access grid, DVTS, ConfXP, remote data sets...) individually recognized clients, authentication and security (shiboleth, IPv6...) grid computing, etc... What kind of resources can you offer? (Participate in research as a collection endpoint? Student created museum?)

These perhaps aren't well articulated out at this point, but you get the idea...

Bill Giddings

There are two questions that I think about when considering Internet2 and the need to increase infrastructure capacities. Neither of them are directly related to the technology, but rather are related to the instructors and students. If the responses to these two questions can be answered in a positive fashion then the technology questions can be asked and answered.
 The first question is 'What educational benefits are there to Internet2 connectivity?" For example: What are the resources available via Internet2 that can not be accessed through the commodity Internet? What is the content or resource at the other end of the 'wire' that compels my institution to move toward Internet2?
 Listing the known Internet2 connected resources begins to provide the compelling reason for this connectivity. Maybe a Midwest institution has an interest and need for studying oceanography but access to an ocean is prohibitive. Resources connected through Internet2 could be once piece of the answer. Or, an instructor in a specific field needs to interact with a remote expert to sharing data, videoconferencing, etc.
 Is there an educational reason to pursue Internet2 access? Access for the sake of having it is not sufficient reason for the investment of the time and money required. However, if there are opportunities to fortify curriculum, student learning experiences, or the professional growth of instructors we should move on to the second question.
 "Is the leadership at my institution ready to take advantage of new resources?" For example: Is the overhead projector the most advanced technology used in the classroom?  What are the chances that the faculty will adapt their styles and curricula? Is there sufficient support within the institution to help the instructors facilitate change? Is the leadership within the organization willing to commit the resources necessary for change?
 I believe these are the most important and the most basic questions that must be answered. How many of us have seen technology put into the classroom/lecture hall only to have it sit there unused and gathering dust?
 Have the administration and curriculum leadership 'drunk the Kool-Aid?' Are they believers? Do they understand and see the value that Internet2 connectivity can bring to their instructional process? If these answers are yes, then let's talk about how to make sure our infrastructures can handle the increased demand for bandwidth for these activities.

Randy Stout

T&L practitioners need more than the one shot refresher courses or orientations to new IT tools, systems, and capacities.  A vibrant community of practice that has the credibility of experience and that provides the continuity of mentoring systems and peer to peer interaction is important.  In this regard, K20 organizations might benefit from asking; how can we incorporate training and professional development on new and emerging technologies and integrate ongoing supports?  How can we form sustainable partnerships to accomplish this?  With whom?  What resources do we have that we can share?  How will this add value to our specific purposes in teaching and learning? 

At another, more primary level, the organizations assessing technology needs and planning for purchase, installation, deployment, and connectivity upgrades must have resources - funding AND human capital - in order to make the most of advanced networking capacities.  K20 organizations might benefit from asking; Where will we find the personnel to adequately support the implementation and use of new IT?  How will regulatory changes influence local options for supporting new and emerging technologies?  Who shares the same concerns as my organization in technology deployment at the local level and who has successfully addressed these share concerns?  Who benefits from the development of advanced networking capacities in my organization, in my community, in my region/state?

Questions about intellectual property, copyrights, and digital rights management are also common concerns and finding a forum to share best practices and lessons learned in terms of policy development for specific organizational settings and practical purposes will help sustain momentum for adoption of new technologies.  So, ultimately, asking the challenging questions about 'why' a particular new network capacity or application is important will strengthen resolve around specific issues under consideration in policy making settings.