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REAPING THE BENEFITS OF SPACE VIA
SMALL SATELLITES
E-LEARNING THROUH „„V-SAT‟‟
BY
DANGUT, MAREN DAVIDE-LEARNING UNIT, NIGERIA SECURITY AND CIVIL
DEFENCE ACADEMY SAUKA ABUJA.
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Abstract: • E-Learning through VSAT is convergence of technology, services and
knowledge base. This provides a facility and framework for Tele-Education and
enables the live classroom session to be broadcasted over the VSAT, WAN and
Internet communication channels. In the 21st Century, VSAT Satellite
Technology is one of the best technologies through which you can provide
qualitative and interactive e-learning . Hence, this paper covers how E learning
through VSAT works and, suggest ways as to how models of e-learning could be
extended to the rural and urban masses of Nigerian using powerful informationand communication technologies such as Satellite technology “VSAT”.
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Introduction • E-learning or Virtual Learning – Is The convergence of the Internet and learning,
or Internet enabled, learning is revolutionizing the way in which education is
imparted to students. It uses the satellite based network technologies to create,foster, deliver, and facilitate learning anytime and anywhere.
• It enables delivery of comprehensive, individualized, and dynamic learning content
in real time and aids in the development of communities of knowledgeable persons,
linking learners and practitioners with experts. E learning through VSAT network
consists of a
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Introduction cont.…
• HUB station, which is a satellite earth station and a Studio for video
broadcasting of the lectures. The HUB will interconnect the VSATs at
various geographical locations establishing the communication link in C
(4GHz - downlinking and 6GHz. - uplinking) or in Ku (12 GHz -
downlinking and 14 GHz - uplinking) bands.
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In the 21st Century, VSAT Satellite Technology is one of the best
technologies through which you can provide qualitative and interactive
distance education
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Virtual Tele ED™ • Virtual Tele ED™ is a combination of learning services and technology, using
VSAT to
• provide high value integrated learning at any time and any place. The Virtual
Tele-Ed Agent
• acts as a Teacher unit for presentation of the subject over the on-line. The
significant features
• are:
• − Support educational organization with any number of remote students
• − Distributed, reusable, and integrated learning and training
• − Integrated audio, video and data presentation in a live broadcast
• − Extensive multicasting capabilities through TCP/IP channels
• − Extensive synchronous and asynchronous collaboration tools for knowledge
sharing
• − A user -friendly interface and powerful data manipulation
• − Usable both in intranet and internet • − Comprehensive integrated support for richer communication
and activities
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E-Learning
The term e-learning covers a wide set of applications and processes including
computer based learning, Web based learning, Virtual Classroom and digital
collaboration. However, the term e learning is becoming widely accepted as a
substitute for online learning and web-based learning.
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WHY E-LEARNING THROUGH
VSAT?
− VSAT networks are easy to install and operate and network
expansion can be accomplished quickly and painlessly additional
VSAT earth stations (remote site terminals) can be added to the
network at any time, virtually on a plug-and-play basis.
− VSAT network operates at speeds from a few Kbps to many Mbps
easily supporting any mix of voice, data, video or facsimile services
that may be required, now or in the future.
• ETC………
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Strengths and Advantages of e Learning
e-Learning has become popular amongst educationists because of itsinherent strengths and advantages it provides to the institutions‟
instructional process. Some of these are:
♦ Access to educational resources from outside the institution on a
global and instant basis;
♦ Quick and easy way to create, update and revise course materials.♦ Increased and flexible interaction with student through e-mail and
discussion forums;
♦ Location and time independent delivery of course materials
such as course notes,
• diagrams, reading list, etc.;
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♦ Ability combine text, graphics and a limited amount of multimedia, enabling
instructional designers to prepare quality-learning materials.
♦ Increased learner control through hypertext based presentation of information;
♦ Opportunities for international, cross-culture and collaborative learning; and
Ability to serve a large number of students at a potentially reduced cost.
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What is VSAT? • VSAT is small, software driven equipment for the reliable
transmission of data, video or audio via satellite. It covers theentire spectrum of interactive distance learning from Synchronous
to Asynchronous, Classroom to Desktop PC based solutions and
high quality video over IP networks.
• VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) is a satellite
communications system that serves educational institutions andbusiness users
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A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the user'scomputer and an outside antenna with a transceiver. The transceiver
receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky. The
satellite sends and receives signals from an earth station computer
that acts as a hub for the system. Each end user is interconnected
with the hub station via the satellite in a star topology. For one end
user to communicate with another, each transmission has to first go
to the hub station which retransmits it via the satellite to the other
end user's VSAT. VSAT handles data, voice, and video signals.
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• VSAT technology represents a cost effective solution for usersseeking an independent communications network connecting a
large number of geographically dispersed sites.
• VSAT networks offer value-added satellite-based services
capable of supporting the Internet, data, LAN, voice/fax
communications, and can provide powerful, dependable privateand public network communications solutions.
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Quick
Installation
A satellite network can be installed in a matter of weeks, sinc
there are not countless miles of wire to be installed
Geography Versatile satellite networks provide the capability to span rain
forest, deserts and mountainous terrain, or connecting remote
island locations.
Bandwidth
Advantage
Satellite networks offer bandwidth advantages that provide a
bigger “Pipe” for transmitting Video, Voice and Data.
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Satellite
In general, a satellite is anything that orbits something else, as, for
example, the moon orbits the earth. In a communications context, a
satellite is a specialized wireless receiver/transmitter that is launched
by a rocket and placed in orbit around the earth. There are hundreds
of satellites currently in operation.
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Why Satellite?
As Internet traffic continues to grow at exponential rates worldwide,
Internet services providers (ISP's) everywhere are faced with the
challenge of keeping up with demand for network bandwidth and
developing creative solutions for squeezing more use out of existing
bandwidth. Satellite-based Internet connections are one of those
solutions.
VSAT has offered ISP's and telecommunications service providers
easily scalable, cost-effective Internet access.
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Key Benefits of Satellite
Faster installation
Better network performance
Lower network costs
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Remote Class Room
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HUB
Universities
Tele-Medicine
Hospitals
Tele-Education
Learning
Institutions
VSAT
Network
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Remote Class / Teacher
BayNetwor ks
Internet
University Studio
Remote Class / Teacher Remote Class / Teacher
Tele-Education Delivery System• 5 Universities
• 53 remote Virtual
Classrooms
• Easily scalable
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• Identification of Experts
• Content Development
• Content Generation• Content Workflow
• Content Deployment
• Delivery through
• e-Learning
• Tele-Education
•Digital Library
VSAT for Remote
Access, BROADBANDFIBRE OPTICS to
to connect major cities
WIRELESS for Last mile
Central HUB of all
Universities
• Coordinate
• Organize
• Schedule
• Broadcast
• Manage
• Maintain
• Infrastructure - Storage• Delivery through
•E-learning
•Tele-education
• Affiliated Colleges
• Study Centres
• Learning centres
• Individual Students
• Village Panchayat
Knowledge Centres
Beneficiaries
• Universities
• Other Institutions
• International
Institutions
CORE COMPETENCE
Online Tele-Education• Virtual Interaction
• Live sessions
• Effective Two way
communication
• Synchronized
Multimedia
• Collaboration
Remote Class rooms
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Hub Station The hub station is the nodal point in the VSAT satellite
communication. It is a high performance earth station with an
antenna diameter of anything between 6 and 9m. The hub consists of a control center with redundant units to manage the network as well
as microwave equipment, including an outdoor antenna for the
transmission and reception of signals. Redundant units are connected
to switchover in case of failure. Substantial amounts of interfacing
equipment's are necessary to support the wide range of terrestrialinterfaces required at the hub. These equipment's are usually
mounted in several racks. Hub stations can also be shared between
several networks, resulting in a sharing of costs.
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Remote Center
• At the Remote end, a dish antenna, outdoor unit (microwave
electronics for terminal) and an indoor unit (for modulation,
demodulation, multiplexing, demultiplexing and synchronization)
are present. Remote terminals have now become very reliable,
with MTBFs of typically 25000 hours. Link availability is also
usually designed to be high, with an end-toend availability of
better than 99.7% being quite common.
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S tti f C i ti
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Setting up of Communication
Center and Data Hub
• A Communication Center cum Data Hub will be set up at theUniversity campus or any at suitable location, from where the live
lecture transmission would be done to Remote Centers (colleges)
at various locations. The communication center is the nodal point
for all the electronic transaction between the host (University)
and agents (Remote colleges). For this,• very powerful servers with redundancy are set up with complete
software and network infrastructure. This Communication Center
will have a studio with control room and various audio and video
recording and editing equipment. The lecture transmission is
carried out with the help of Software. The Communication Centeror Studio room has the following Servers
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• − Control Server
• − Agent Server • − AV (Audio/Video) Streaming Server
• − Presentation Capture Server
• − Media Control Recording Server
• − Whiteboard Server
• − Text interaction Server
• − Live Voice Room Server
• − Private Voice Call server.
• The content is captured through various Servers and transmitted
to Remote Centers through VSAT, which are then received at theRemote Centers.
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Setting up of VSATs at
Remote Classroom
• The Remote Classroom is equipped with a good quality digital
video system and a large screen TV monitor in each classroom.
The video is used to enable students in the various locations to
view the live lectures conducted by the lecturers. Audio is
provided for the students to interact with the lecturers during the
live class sessions.
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E Learning Management
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E-Learning Management
System
• The Learning Management System (LMS) is a tool using which astudent can manage information like personal information,
tracking of student schedules / timetable, personalizing the
student schedule using the personal organizer and most
importantly surfing the content that is uploaded on the network.
Each registered student is given a unique username and password
form, which he/she can access his/her own space from which the
various functions provided above, can be accessed. Since the
solution is a web-enabled solution the same can be
• accessed by the student even from their homes or any browsing
centre
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Challenges Of E-learning In Nigeria
• In spite of the bright prospect of e-learning in the country, there
are some obstacles militating against the effective use of the
technology in Nigeria. Some of these obstacles are;
• − High cost of hardware in Africa, which are substantially higher
than in the United States.
• − High import tariffs and less price competition.
• − Transmission cost is equally high in Africa.
• − Internet access in Africa is through a foreign gateway.
• − Shortage of skilled manpower.
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− Companies and institutions are reluctant to invest in training of
staff due to the likelihood that trained staff will be poached by other
institutions and companies.
− Computer technology illiteracy among the students from the
primary school level.
− Cost of acquiring installing the gadget required for e-learning.
− Incessant Power Supply − Lack of affordable dedicated/specialized e-learning centre
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RECOMMENDATIONS
− The accreditation team of the National University Commission (NUC) aswell as the
national Board for Technical Education (NBTE) should revise the syllabus of
the Nigerian University/polytechnics/secondary school to include virtual
courses that will be internet based.
− adequate info-tech facilities to the institutions of higher
learning in the country as well as primary and secondary school level.
− The institutions concern should be properly financed so as to be able to
compete with their other institutions abroad.
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• − Training of staff in the institution about the latest e-learning
tools.
• − Adequate power supply, employ use of solar panels to give
power to remote centers
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CONCLUSION • Now Educational Leaders has to think “Beyond Chalk and Talk”.
So start thinking about new ways of providing qualitative andinteractive education. “Change your self before they Change You”
• VSAT Technology has matured over years. With increase in
communication speeds up to many Mbps and reduction in antenna
size that can be easily mounted on rooftops or can be mounted from
ground, it is most trusted and best suitable for e-learning. Expansionof education network to newer areas is very easy by simply plugging
in new antennas at the sites. Virtual Tele ED™ is a complete E-
Learning solution through VSAT .
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