Access Grid Improves Collaborative Research and Professional Development Possibilities

This fall, York University joins a number of other Canadian universities and institutions in establishing an Access Grid Node.

What is Access Grid?

An Access Grid node is an installation for real time communication that features easily maintainable, "always on" links to any other node on the system that is operating. An Access Grid node connects to other nodes through a venue server, and the number of connections that can be supported is limited only by the bandwidth available at the receiving site and the processing power of the computers that make up the node. Running on CANARIE's CA*net 4 research network in Canada, Access Grid allows groups to collaborate in real time, despite geographical distance. Over fifteen nodes from post-secondary institutions and research groups make up the Canadian Access Grid, but there are at least 150 other grids worldwide on most continents including North and South America, Europe and Asia.

Access Grid Setup

In order to collaborate, each node must reside in a "room" or "lobby". Rooms (lobbies) are provided as a service either by one of the collaborating entities or by a third party. Sites can share information and even equipment in specific cases. Although the technology and setup can vary from one institution to another, each Access Grid node can scale its connection down or up, depending on available bandwidth, or calibrate its equipment to another university's specifications, thereby allowing real time collaboration, such as sharing ongoing research experiments in remote laboratories.

One major difference between the Access Grid setup and standard video and audio conferencing is that Access Grid involves a larger number of devices - cameras, microphones, screens etc, making it more natural for groups to collaborate with other groups. At York, two Windows-based nodes - one in the ABEL (Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning) studio in the TEL Building, and the other in Stedman's Studio A (Lecture Hall 120E), each control four cameras (to profile different parts of each room), three computers and three presentation screens.

Given the complexity of the environment and the number of devices involved, an operating technician is usually required. The operator's panel has an audio screen, video screen, and three display screens which allow drag and drop of display possibilities such as a document camera, whiteboard, live objects, video streaming, and so on. Because the system can be always on, there is no repeated set up and take down of equipment.

Access Grid Uses

To date, and because there are a significant number of sites in Canada and the U.S., the Access Grid has been used mainly in the sciences for collaborative research. Using Access Grid researchers can share any data, whether by file transfer to another grid node, or viewing and discussing data collaboratively using shared resources such as internet browsers, PowerPoint, spreadsheet, electronic whiteboard, and so on.

This year, York's ABEL program will also be using Access Grid to further its interactive, collaborative approach to teacher and faculty professional development and education delivery. ABEL now interconnects Acadia University in Halifax, York University - Faculty of Education, the University of Alberta, Seneca, Edmonton Public Schools, Toronto District School Board, and York Region District School Board. They will explore using the Access Grid in locations which can be left always on to facilitate the provision of impromptu, yet rich, collaborative environments. These environments will be used for a range of activities in one or a number of modalities involving students, academicians and experts. The Access Grid will enhance professional development for teachers by giving them access to enhanced technologies and enabling information sharing between teachers and experts, students and experts, and between students themselves.

More Information

• For other Canadian Access Grid nodes, see http://www.accessgrid.ca.
• For Access Grid nodes worldwide, see http://www.accessgrid.org.
• For more information on Access Grid or on using Access Grid, contact Obadiah George at ABEL (obadiah@yorku.ca), Jim Poole at ITC (jpoole@yorku.ca) or Susan Spence in Computing and Network Services (suspence@yorku.ca).
• For more on ABEL, visit http://www.abelearn.ca.
  

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