Streaming technology - How does it affect education? Report from a project using satellite-based communication

In Austria like in many other countries nearly all school have an internet connection. This offers a lot of new possibilities in communication and information retrieval. The authors believe that streaming and broadcasting technology which require broadband access will lead to a major step forward in the use of IT in classroom. The prime aim of the AVD project is to investigate the potentialities of these technologies for education. In particular the project addresses: media-ondemand services for schools, new ways of active use of media by students, interactive TV as the synchronous part of an e-Learning environment. As the current network infrastructure connecting schools to the internet in Austria doesn’t allow streaming and broadcasting technology a satellite based communication system has been setup.