KNOXVILLE — People from all over the world will meet here Dec. 10 via the World Wide Web in a worldwide demonstration of Internet-based video conferencing hosted by the University of Tennessee.
Megaconference IV will feature speakers from around the globe discussing how video conferencing technology is used for distance learning and communication with far away places. The event is free and open to the public and campus community.
Public viewing areas will be set up from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at the University Center Shiloh Room, the Great Room in the International House and A-335 Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for UT faculty members and local educators to hear how their colleagues are using videoconferencing technologies to enhance their teaching and research,” Chris Hodge, who helped coordinate the event for UT’s Office of Information Technology, said. “We also hope that this occasion will help us gain a better understanding of the needs of UT faculty, develop new services to meet those needs and improve existing services.”
A panel of UT faculty members will meet from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the Shiloh Room to discuss their use of videoconferencing for instruction and research. Panelists are: Donnell Ashmore, UT Center on Deafness; Mickey Sims, College of Veterinary Medicine; Micah Beck, Logistical Computing and Internetworking Laboratory; and Marcel Grubert, a graduate assistant representing Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering.
Other events include the Megacon Cafe a series of open sessions where anyone can chat with the rest of the world about any subject; the Roll Call, where each participant is given 30 seconds to introduce themselves and tell about their institution; and a video conference detective game where participants follow clues to various points in the world to locate a fictitious villain.
Hodge said three sessions are scheduled to accommodate participants in various time zones around the world. An early session will emphasize Europe and Africa, a mid-day session will emphasize the Western Hemisphere, and a late session will emphasize Asia and the Pacific.
Live feeds of the event also can be viewed on campus from Digital Media Services at 209 Hodges Library, the International House on Melrose Avenue, Advanced Internet Technologies at 313 Conference Center and the Vet Teaching Hospital. The remote locations will not be connected worldwide, but viewers will be able to communicate in a “mini-conference” with participants at other local sites.
For more information on the megaconference, contact Mark Hipshire at 974-7524 or email: mhipshir@utk.edu.