1. 1st International BELIEF II – 6CHOICE
Symposium on Distance Learning
Delhi, 28–29 January 2009
The Dawn of Distance Learning
on e-Infrastructures
or
Distance Learning 2.0
Wolfgang Gentzsch
The DEISA Project
Open Grid Forum
e-School
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
2. Content
• The Challenge: world-wide data and knowledge explosion
• The Challenge: we need more scientists and engineers, but
students are not interested
• The Challenge: schools and teachers are not prepared
• The Solution: new ways of teaching and learning for our
digital natives
• The Technology: e-Infrastructures for enriched learning
• The Didactics: working with didactic and pedagogic experts
• The Prototype: e-School, interactive science laboratory, the
digital sand-box for life-long learning
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
3. Data Challenges Today
“The amount of scientific data is doubling
every year, and mining, analysis, knowledge
and reproduction is becoming very complex.”
A.Szalay & J.Gray: Science in an exponential world.
In: Nature, Vol 440, 23 March 2006.
This trend is likely to continue:
- Moore, Gilder, Metcalf Laws continue
- In 3-5 years: 10-fold more processing,
. storage, and also network bandwidth
- This will result in 10 times more data
Copy: Aple iPod Ad from
- Science is scaling up (e.g. LHC) and
Sueddeutsche Magazine June 2 2006
. scaling out (commodity technologies)
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
4. Our knowledge doubles every 12 months !
Genbank doubles every 12 months
But
Education
doesn’t
keep pace
!!!
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
5. Cyberinfrastructure Vision for the
21st Century Discovery
New cultural community that supports peer collaboration and new
modes of education, based upon
- broad and open access to leadership computing;
- data and information resources;
- online instruments and observatories; and
- visualization and collaboration services.
CI enables distributed knowledge communities that collaborate
and communicate across disciplines, distances and cultures.
Research and education communities beyond traditional brick-and-
mortar facilities, becoming virtual organizations that transcend
geographic and institutional boundaries.
Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr.
Director of the National Science Foundation, in March 2007
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
6. Emerging IT is reshaping education
Economic & technological shifts change education dramatically
IT is becoming the foundation of knowledge and skills
Changes in the characteristics and behaviors of learners
“Competitive advantage for a region is now built on the skills of
its workforce as opposed to its geography, trade laws,
patents, and natural resources.”
“The workers of the 21st century must have skills in science,
math, and information technologies, creativity, and the ability
to solve complex problems.” C.Dede, S.Corte, R.Nelson, G.Valdes, D.Ward, 2005
Transforming Learning for the 21st Century: An Economic Imperative
“States must foster, support, and enhance online learning for
all students and develop 21st century citizens with the capacity
for lifelong learning and productivity! John Watson et all, 2005
Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
7. Today’s Education Challenges
Information & knowledge is growing exponentially
Teaching methods and materials do not keep pace
Learning today is too passive and static, life is highly
active and dynamic
I’ve tried to tell Bill
Students become de-motivated and lack creativity he’s overloading
himself with too
e-Learning environments are scratching the surface much information
We need 100Ks of We have to focus
new jobs in science on K-12 students
and engineering and their teachers
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
8. However: Many Governments Cut Education Budgets
EDU
CAT
ION
Copy from Mittelbayerische
“Broaden the foundation? Much too expensive!” Newspaper June3 2006
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
9. On the other hand: We have e-Infrastructures
This is a Grid =>
<= and this is a
Grid Architecture
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
10. Example of an e-Infrastructure:
Distributed European Infrastructure for
Supercomputing Applications - DEISA
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
11. DEISA Project Partners
DEISA1: May 1st, 2004 – April 30th, 2008
DEISA2: May 1st, 2008 – April 30th, 2011
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
12. DEISA, Vision, Mission, Strategy
Vision:
Establish persistent European HPC ecosystem integrating national
Tier-1 (Tflop/s) and Tier-0 (Pflop/s) centres.
Mission:
Enhance Europe’s capability in computing and science by integrating
supercomputers into European HPC e-infrastructure.
Build European Supercomputing Service on top of existing national
services, based on the deployment and operation of a persistent,
production quality, distributed supercomputing environment with
continental scope.
Strategy:
Consolidate the existing DEISA1 HPC infrastructure and services.
Deliver a turnkey operational solution for the future persistent
European HPC ecosystem.
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
13. DEISA Infrastructure
CINECA user
based on UNICORE Grid Middleware
Gateway job
Gateway Gateway
job Gateway IDRIS Gateway
Gateway FZJ HLRS Gateway
ECMWF HPCX
CSC LRZ
NJS
Gateway IDRIS IBM P6 LRZ user
Gateway
CINECA NJS NJS
RZG
FZJ IBM HLRS NEC SX8
IDB UUDB
Gateway Gateway
BSC IDB UUDB IDB UUDB SARA
NJS
ECMWF IBM P5
NJS
AIX
LL-MC HPCX Cray XT4
IDB UUDB
Super-UX
AIX NQS II IDB UUDB
LL-MC P
FT
G rid
AIX
LL
UNICOS/lc
NJS PBS Pro
NJS
CSC Cray XT4/5
LRZ SGI ALTIX
IDB UUDB UNICOS/lc
PBS Pro IDB UUDB
LINUX
PBS Pro
NJS
CINECA IBM P5
AIX
LL-MC
AIX
IDB UUDB LL-MC
LINUX LINUX NJS
Maui/Slurm LL RZG IBM
NJS NJS IDB UUDB
BSC IBM PPC SARA IBM
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
IDB UUDB IDB UUDB
14. Distance Learning on e-Infrastructures
Distance Learning... ...on e-Infrastructures
• Independent of time and space • Independent of time and space
• Self-paced learning • Self-paced learning
• Teacher-independent learning • Teacher-independent learning
• Deductive science education • Inquiry-based science education
• Mostly single-learner envirnmt. • Allows for collaborating groups
• Linear inter-reactivity, at best • Fully nonlinear interactivity
• Mostly static and repetitive • Highly dynamic and nonlinear
• Allows for complex simulations,
=> Improved (but similar to) data processing, and visualization
class-room learning • Brings creativity, motivation and
commitment to the students and
to the teachers
=> Paradigm Shift
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
15. e-School Prototype
A Virtual Laboratory based on an e-Infrastructure and a distributed
digital repository for science and engineering applications
for students and educators
Bridging the Chasm between
Education and Science
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
16. Our Vision: e-School Science Collaboratory
for a better learning experience
Inter-active learning tools for creative students (edutainment)…
…same tools engineers & scientists are using in the 21st century
Edu portal provides seamless access to virtual laboratory
100s of real-world computer simulations available for all ages
On dynamic, shared, remote resources, at your finger tip
e-School: empowering education
- Learning by doing -
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
17. Imagine: Scientific computing on powerful
small and affordable end-user devices
Carry-along PCs (CAPS) , Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPC)
Fujitsu UMPC
CAPC, from Samsung, South Korea
OLPC from MIT
CAPC from HTC
T83 Tablet from Asus, Taiwan,
demoed at CeBit 2007
Asus R2H
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
24. Summary
Distance Learning 2.0 = Web 2.0 + Science Applications + e-Infrastructure
e-School Portal
Students
e-Infrastructure
Standard protocols
Win LX
Science
Applications
Mac UX
‘Studentification‘
Intranet Clients
Engineering
Applications
Teachers
e-School Workspace e-School Library
Courtesy: NICE EnginFrame
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
25. 1st International BELIEF II – 6CHOICE
Symposium on Distance Learning
Delhi, 28–29 January 2009
Thank You !!
Wolfgang Gentzsch
gentzsch at rzg.mpg.de
e-School
BELIEF-6Choice Delhi Jan 29 2009 Wolfgang Gentzsch
