Scheduling policy introduction

NOTE: The lease for the satellite system will expire June 30, 2006. IHETS will not support the system after that time and is offering a new service, IHETS Interactive, to replace it. IHETS Interactive has it's own scheduling policy which will be utilized during limited production through full production. The information provided here is for historical purposes only.

Fundamental scheduling principles

IHETS video services include a number of shared resources for higher education institutions to use in extending educational opportunities. IHETS Television currently uses digitally compressed satellite transmission especially useful for real-time video with audio-only interaction serving many locations over a wide geographic area. Video conferencing via the Indiana Telecommunications Network (ITN) is a resource shared among higher education and other ITN users. To make most effective and efficient use of both services, the higher education community will coordinate its long-term video scheduling needs for all components of IHETS' video service.

• Those who originate video programming will present schedule requests which honor the principle of using these shared resources to the maximum advantage for all.
• No period of time "belongs" to any one user until it has been scheduled and confirmed by that user.
• Originators will consolidate usage whenever possible in order to make the most efficient use of time and capacity.
• Originators will take every precaution to avoid scheduling more time or facilities than they will need and will cancel or amend the reservation promptly if needs change.
• To provide for the variety of uses and users dependent on the ITN bridge (including those that require advance assurance of scheduled facilities in order to secure participation or enrollments), up to one-half of the bridge capacity may be scheduled as much as one year in advance of the activity starting date. The remaining half will be preserved for ad hoc uses.
• Once an activity is scheduled, IHETS staff will not pre-empt it. Should a facility failure interfere with transmission of a scheduled activity, staff will take timely action to provide an alternative if one is available; however, staff will not interrupt an activity on working facilities in order to provide that alternative.

Video scheduling committee

The video scheduling committee is responsible for allocating these shared resources for higher education by establishing the base schedule and for resolving conflicting requests for IHETS Television or ITN video bridge time. Each scheduling request is considered on an individual basis as the committee meets to consider the base schedule for a period. In most instances, a satisfactory time for each project can be worked out by negotiation among the parties concerned.

Preparation of schedule requests

Institutions are strongly encouraged to consider the following criteria in preparing their requests for shared video resources:

Instructional design considerations

Do the course goals, learning objectives, and/or faculty pedagogical preferences need visual presentation or demonstration? How often? Which objectives, if any, actually require real-time or synchronous video interaction?

• Seminar style or frequent student presentations: Consider using Indiana Telecommunications Network (ITN).
• Frequent need for handling high motion levels: IHETS Television/satellite may be more appropriate.
• Illustrated lectures: consider a medium other than video such as Internet or streaming audio with slides.

Learner considerations

Enrollment patterns and history:

• If enrollments are typically very low (fewer than 10 off campus), reconsider offering course at all or consider asynchronous format such as videotape or independent study.

Audience location:

• If out-of-state: satellite (or ISDN if interactive video is needed).
• If primarily at business sites: satellite (or ISDN)
• If at numerous sites (eight or more): Satellite is probably the appropriate choice as more than eight sites will find truly interactive video very difficult to achieve.

Learner preference:

• Some learners strongly prefer interactive video and audio: ITN
• Others only want the perceived opportunity to raise questions during class to feel secure about ability to understand class content: satellite or ITN depending on other factors

Process and timeline

• Schedule period: For purposes of scheduling shared video resources, the academic year is divided into three periods: fall, spring, and summer. The IHETS Television base schedule is established approximately one-and one-half years ahead of the schedule period. In December the network is scheduled for the following fall and for the spring and summer of the next year (e.g., fall 2000, spring 2001, and summer 2001 were scheduled during December 1999). An ITN bridge schedule for higher education will be confirmed according to the same pattern. Time requests for both the IHETS TV and the ITN base schedules must be submitted before November 1. Requests submitted after these deadlines will not be considered until the base schedule is confirmed.

• Pencil schedule: Schedule requests submitted by IHETS member institutions prior to the November 1 cut-off date are entered into a pencil schedule showing all requests including conflicts. Copies of the pencil schedule are distributed to the video scheduling committee after the cut-off date, with each conflict highlighted. Parties with conflicting requests are encouraged to find solutions to the conflicts prior to the committee meeting to determine the base schedule.
  
• Base schedule: If no conflicting requests emerge in the pencil schedule, this schedule becomes the base schedule for that scheduling period and all entries are confirmed. When conflicting requests are received, the video scheduling committee will meet to resolve those conflicts and establish the base schedule. The base schedule is then confirmed.

Guidelines for scheduling committee use

The video scheduling committee will use a set of consistent criteria to resolve competing requests for time on IHETS Television. These include but are not limited to the following:

• Enrollment history or projection, with preference for programs serving large audiences
• Degree program needs, particularly where there exists an implied commitment to students regarding availability of courses to complete a degree program already under way
• Credit or non-credit, with some preference for credit courses while assuring adequate time available for larger-enrollment non-credit programming
• Existence of other reasonable options (such as ITN or Internet)
• Technologies available to the audience, with some preference for programs that serve learners where ITN is not available
• Efficiency of time usage, with preference for programming that optimizes network use through interleaving several courses in the same time slot or reducing video class time for the course

Appeals

Within the context of the principles set forth above, the committee must resolve all conflicts and establish a base schedule for the scheduling periods. Program directors may appeal the committee's decision by petitioning for a hearing before a meeting of the IPSE working group. This group's decision will be binding on all parties. It is important that this process move quickly for two reasons:

• No new requests for network time can be processed until a base schedule has been established, and
• Institutions need time to complete plans based on the final schedule

Ad hoc scheduling

• Schedule requests after cut-off date: Schedule requests which are received after the base schedule is made are entered and confirmed in order of receipt if network time is available. Tentative oral requests are accepted but need to be confirmed by submitting a e-mail request to the IHETS within 48 hours. Requests received for time that is not available in the base schedule will be returned to the originator.
• Last-minute schedule changes: When last-minute requirements for scheduling changes arise, IHETS Help Desk personnel comply with these requests to the extent that facilities are available. The staff does not pre-empt already-scheduled TV activities but works with the originator to identify alternative times or to facilitate tape delay when this is the best solution.

Indiana Telecommunications Network

ITN may be used for ad hoc videoconferences between two points without needing to use the ITN video bridge, requiring only agreement between the two sites and assurance that their local facilities are available. Once the base schedule for higher education has been established, those scheduling additional videoconferences among three or more sites will need to schedule the ITN video bridge, and those who plan recurring point-to-point videoconferences are encouraged to schedule the activity with IHETS so that local facilities are not inadvertently booked by other users.

Bridge users will eventually schedule its use directly via the Web. Until the software is installed and operational, there is an online form to facilitate requests. Users are encouraged to check availability of the bridge by contacting the ITN video operations office. Reservation requests should include the basic information about date, start and end times, number of bridge ports needed, and conference-leader or originator identification. Requests will be entered and confirmed in order of receipt. Should sufficient capacity not be available to accommodate a request, staff will notify the requester accordingly so that the user can choose an alternate time or negotiate with the other users who have already scheduled the bridge at that time.

The bridge itself is only one component of a videoconference, however; the other necessary component is the facilities at participating sites. These facilities are typically limited in number and accessibility, so the user who is scheduling an activity should first check the availability of the facilities at each intended participating site and identify each participating site as part of the schedule reservation, even for recurring point-to-point video-conferences that may not require use of the bridge.

Information flow

As much accurate data as possible should be provided when network time is requested, including preliminary requests for base-schedule allocation. A description of the project, including composition and size (if known) of the intended audience, should be submitted with each schedule request in addition to the routine scheduling information. Requests for ITN bridge services should also estimate as accurately as possible the expected number and location of participating sites to identify potential use of bridge capacity as well as potential overbooking of local facilities. Since IHETS Television is delivered by satellite, accuracy of scheduling information is also critical. The satellite receivers are addressable; consequently, only those sites listed in the data bank as reception sites for a particular program will actually receive that program. It is the responsibility of the originating location to report all time and site changes to the IHETS staff.