NASA DNL Quarterly Technology Update

No matter how small

your project, the whole world could be

watching and learning live via the web!

Always Improving

How does the Digital Learning Network avoid becoming stagnant? Through participation in a week-long professional development and staying current with research, the DLN is always seeking the next big thing. From January 8 to January 13, 2017, the entire DLN traveled to the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida to meet with policymakers and distance learning experts, test new hardware, and hone its digital expansion skills. Our goal was to conduct a “virtual field trip” by the end of the week, consisting of live on-site webcasts showcasing three KSC areas of interest. These remote broadcasts were developed to showcase the DLN’s ability to present these sites to a large audience through multiple channels of digital delivery, such as browser-based interactive videoconferencing as well as social media. This issue of the DLN’s Quarterly Technology Update provides a glimpse of the future of digital expansion within NASA and beyond.

Center Director and former astronaut Robert Cabana welcomes the DLN to Kennedy Space Center

http://www.nasa.gov/dln

Quarterly Technology Update Spring 2017 Edition

The Future of Digital Expansion

Always Improving ............. 1

New Tech & Directions ..... 2

Virtual Reality ................... 2

Behind the Scenes ............. 3

Virtual Field Trip ............... 3

Contact Information ......... 4

Services ............................. 4

Inside this Issue

The DLN also selected the innovative Swamp Works as a broadcast site

Guided by Joshua Santora, the DLN takes a tour of the gigantic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in order

to find the best broadcast location

Spring 2017 – Page 2

New Technology & Directions

Virtual Reality Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that the DLN is very excited to explore. From repairing robots to climbing up mountains, the goggles, headphones, and motion controllers had a stunning power to transport us far away. We imagined the wonder of students meeting an astronaut inside a virtual recreation of the International Space Station or the surface of Mars rather than just seeing a face projected on a flat screen. During our training week, the DLN sampled two high-end VR systems as well as one powered by an ordinary smart phone.

http://www.nasa.gov/dln

The DLN was privileged to have a discussion with well-known figures Derek Muller (Veritasium), Henry Reich (Minute Physics), and Nate Allen (/r/science) to discuss STEM in social media. Among the topics discussed were lessons learned, creative processes, and strategies to cope with the vastness of an internet audience. Henry noted the importance of providing an honest representation of science that can be understood by middle school students, which was accepted as the general consensus from this video conference.

The DLN also explored educational gaming. After experiencing an example lesson about recursive algorithms in the extremely popular Minecraft game by Mojang, the DLN spoke with Joel Levin, a classroom teacher who created MinecraftEDU. Also participating in the conversation was Bruce Wooden of AltspaceVR. Together, we discussed how games can change the nature of education when students are given access to the unlimited materials of a virtual world.

The DLN also learned about current NASA efforts underway to develop these technologies for practical use. We visited the Integrated Display and Environmental Awareness System (IDEAS) laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center where augmented reality and spherical video are being explored. Augmented reality adds multimedia overlays to a person’s field of view. One goal of IDEAS is to create head-mounted displays to improve situational awareness, safety, and efficiency for ground support personnel.

The DLN engaged Marci Powell, former U.S. Distance Learning Association president and current Drexel University distance learning partner. Marci described a variety of innovative technologies and demonstrated two that could potentially improve our current offerings with minimal effort. The exciting pieces of hardware were a Kubi telepresence robot that allows an audience to look around during a presentation, and a Georama gimbal that makes virtual walking tours easy and interactive.

The DLN learned that NASA loves social media just as much as the public. Jason Townsend from NASA HQ explained that Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest and other platforms have become a main avenue for NASA to reach the general public. Inspired by this, the DLN is exploring new ways social media can enable interaction with students and teachers. We have already found great success in encouraging people to contact us on Twitter using @NASADLN or #askDLN. We look forward to future possibilities!

Spring 2017 – Page 3 http://www.nasa.gov/dln

Behind the Scenes

Right: Friend of the DLN, Michael Perri, providing equipment advice

Left: Michael determines the perfect camera

angle moments before the broadcast

Virtual Field Trip

The three live webcasts on Thursday, January 12 each were about thirty minutes long, yet were weeks in the making. It is our mission to make things look easy for our guests and audiences, and this requires significant time spent scouting sites, troubleshooting equipment, acquiring access to secure locations, and so much more. Furthermore, we do not achieve all of this alone. Collaboration among a widespread network of committed professionals is key to accomplishing the work of DLN, which is evident in our name. We would like to thank the entire support team that made our KSC Virtual Field Trips possible. Thank you to Joshua Santora for your insights into the wonders of Kennedy Space Center. We also greatly appreciate Michael Perri for being a long-time friend of the DLN and sharing years of television news experience with our team. Last but not least, thank you to Kennedy Space Center and all its people for opening their doors to our cameras.

On January 12, 2017, the DLN put all of its training into practice with a day of virtual field trips at three different locations at the Kennedy Space Center. Because there were so many experts in one place, the DLN went BIG! Each program featured a NASA subject matter expert, a different location on Kennedy Space Center, and multiple schools connecting through Vidyo. A total of 35 educators and 437 students were connected live from remote locations spanning the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Georgia, New York, Michigan, and Kansas for interactive Q&A. A webcast audience was also connected during each of the events, indicating a total of 89 unique IP connections with an estimated viewing audience of 2,225 (assuming that each IP address represented a classroom of 25 students).

The first field trip occurred outside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) which was designed to assemble large space vehicles like the Saturn V, Space Shuttle, and the new Space Launch System (SLS). DLN Specialists Caryn Smith-Long and Lisa Illowsky hosted Darryl Foster and talked about the history and future of this huge building.

Next the DLN gave us a look inside Swamp Works – an engineering facility that provides innovative technologies required for working and living on the surface of the Moon or Mars. For this DLN virtual field trip, DLN Specialists Lindsey Jones and Roger Storm met with Jason Schuler. Jason showed us the robots that will eventually mine resources on the surface of Mars.

After an emergency relocation to the studio due to rain, the Kristy Brumfield and David Alexander wrapped up the day with an interview of Laura Poliah, an expert on the Orion capsule. Orion is NASA’s newest crew vehicle under development intended to facilitate human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit into deep space.

Spring 2017 – Page 4

Training Learn how to be an all-around better presenter

or practice with a specific technology

Videoconferencing Interact with up to three locations with

high-end dedicated hardware

Webconferencing Interact with up to 200 Internet-connected

locations at once

Webcasting Broadcast live video to the entire world!

NASA TV

Televise your latest breakthrough while the DLN handles the connection!

The entire DLN team is here to help you – we are just an email away! Bernice Alston – balston@paragon-tec.com Caryn Long (LaRC) – caryn.long@nasa.gov David Alexander (AFRC) – david.e.alexander@nasa.gov DeVon Artis (LaRC) – devon.m.artis@nasa.gov Kristy Brumfield (SSC) – kristy.m.brumfield@nasa.gov Lindsey Jones (GSFC) – lindsey.jones-1@nasa.gov Lisa Illowsky (ARC) – lisa.j.illowsky@nasa.gov Michael Hare (JSC) – michael.w.hare@nasa.gov Rachel Power (KSC) – rachel.b.power@nasa.gov Roger Storm (GRC) – roger.c.storm@nasa.gov Scott Anderson (MSFC) – scott.c.anderson@nasa.gov Sean Argyle – sfargyle@paragon-tec.com

CO

NT

AC

T

US

NASA’s Digital Learning Network provides dependable services that can help you to create online experiences that are:

• Exceptional, • Engaging, and • Educationally Sound.

The DLN Specialist at your Center has the equipment and expertise necessary to make sure that your content will reach your audience with the high quality and professionalism expected of NASA. Our team makes things easy. Visit your local studio to find out how!

http://www.nasa.gov/dln

Types of Services

Right: DLN Specialist Caryn Long testing a Georama gimbal

Below: The entire DLN family was humbled and honored to stand on a launch pad just meters from a

Delta IV rocket