…for a distance learning project called ‘Tele-learning’
Icons for the Tele-learning software’s Graphic User Interface (GUI).
Description: In the mid-1980s I developed electronic distance education whiteboard software to teach distance classes. (What is shown in the illustration are the icons used along the bottom of the screen for system operation.)
My Roles/Contributions: I did everything but teach over the system: I conceived and designed the concept; wrote the software, including the Graphic User Interface and character maps; worked with local telecom personnel to test and implement it; and helped set up classes to pilot it.
Instructional Details: Advanced high school courses (such as AP classes and Trigonometry) are not available in rural areas because there are too few interested students. The idea was that it might be possible to combine students from multiple rural schools using using the electronic distance education system described. Pilot courses included Trigonometry, AP English, and AP Art taught with students located in Panguitch, Tropic, Escalante, Utah and, in one case, a teacher in St George, Utah.
Graphic Details: I designed the icon-based Graphic User Interface to make it as simple for teacher to use as possible. Icon-modes included freehand drawing, display text, drawing of common shapes, erasing, and a pointer, among others. In addition, I laid out a symbol set that included all standard ASCII (127) characters, and supplementary Greek and mathematics symbols for use in the on-screen display.
Technical Details: The software used a form of vector graphics to transmit and record graphics, and a special communication protocol was invented just for this system. Software was written in compiled Integer BASIC; drivers and other low-level code was written in 6502 Assembly Language.
Hardware for the system included Apple ][+ or Apple //e computers with 64K memory; Gibson light pens as pointing devices; and 4800 baud, half-duplex modems for telecommunication.
