Internet2: Engaging the Millennial Generation

Were you among the 200 people who attended Internet2 Day at the University of Washington yesterday? It was worth the time. The target audience of the free half-day event was the education community, but unfortunately very few school teachers and college faculty members were among the audience. Speakers showcased projects by bringing in live presenters and demonstrations from other parts of the country through high-speed high-resolution videoconferencing. Internet2 is designed for real-time interactivity and supported by high-speed global networks. Transmitted over fiber optic cable, Internet2 is much faster and has much higher capacity than the Internet. More importantly Internet2 is dedicated to the education and research community.

Internet2 opens an exciting new door to real-time collaboration across the K-20 spectrum. Currently over 50,000 institutions including K-12 schools, community colleges, universities, libraries and museums are connected to Internet2. Students at all levels can use Internet2 to gain real-time immediate access to experts and global collaboration previously not feasible. They can virtually witness an open heart surgery and then question the surgeon, observe deep-sea volcanic activities in microscopic detail, or visit far away ecological sites. Students in different regions can simultaneously be a part of a global concert. Foreign-language students can have real time interaction with native speakers in other parts of the world which makes language acquisitions much more meaningful to them.

The new generation of students communicates and learns in a different way. Internet2 provides teachers with a powerful medium to engage students in an interactive, media-rich learning environment, transforming passive learning into real-time interactivity. How will faculty take advantage of the power of the new Internet2 to enhance student learning? The bandwidth and power are sitting ready. What other resources and support are needed to encourage faculty to explore and experiment? Students in Washington are waiting for a “world-class education.”

Jennifer Wu
North Seattle Community College

Notes:

1. Visit The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration for ideas and resources.
2. The videotaped program of the Internet2 Day will be made available online to the public.