Storming ahead in broadcasting? You BETT!
January 14th 2002
Ultralab, Anglia Polytechnic University

Four students from Colbayns High School, Clacton, Essex pioneered the way in internet broadcasting at the BETT show (British Education and Training Technology) at Olympia, London (Wednesday 9th to Saturday 12th January). Donna Taylor, Donna Cassidy, Lisa McCormack and Becky Hazell broadcast live video footage produced daily by visiting schools and art groups. The BETT event, which has been running since 1984 was attended by 22,000 visitors from all over the world and is attended by key dignitaries within the education field for this country. The eight hour daily broadcast entertained visitors at the first-floor stand and also in the food court downstairs with work created hourly by children filiming and editing at the show and live cameras showing the visiting school and community groups at work. The software used for the broadcasting, LiveChannel, is newly developed in Israel by ChannelStorm (http://www.channelstorm.com/)and is tipped to revolutionise and democratise the way students broadcast moving video image. Ultralab (http://www.ultralab.net/), the leading learning technology research centre, based at APU in Chelmsford, responsible for organising the broadcasting event for the show is extremely proud of the achievements of the Colbayns pupils as was Phil Langshaw, Head of Creative Arts & Media at Colbayns school. After a short training session at Ultralab, no more than one hour, the four pupils were technically competent broadcasters and having started, they can confront all the issues facing professional broadcasters - a challenge they savoured. This software has much potential, including the opportunity for schools to quickly and easily set up their own broadcasting TV stations using the Internet to reach a worldwide audience. Richard Millwood, reader and Apple Distinguished Educator at Ultralab said "The main purpose will be to act as focus for tv and radio broadcasting on the net which requires a different, quick thinking, decision making, on-the-fly mentality compared to the more considered composition with iMovie. Also it will provide a series of deadlines for broadcasting events which we intend will stimulate creativity for iMovie compositions, not to say the ability to cut between two live cameras, an audio input and a titling overlay to add life to the whole shebang!"

Richard Millwood and Phil Langshaw intend to develop the use of LiveChannel in a joint project between Ultralab and Colbayns High School to be carried out in the summer term and subsequently throughout the academic year 2002-2003 and are currently looking for sponsors to enhance their proposals.

• BETT Goes to the Movies was the feature stand at BETT 2002
• It was a partnership between BFI (British Film Institute) Education, Film Education and Ultralab
• It was sponsored and supported by Apple, Emap (BETT organisers) and Oracle
• the event was active from Wednesday 7th to Saturday the 10th of January
• On each day, visiting students engaged in a range of film making activities:
  • Wednesday - YCTV (Youth Culture Television)
  • Thursday - Film and Video Workshop
  • Friday - SEEVEAZ (South East England Virtual Education Action Zone) with Ultralab
  • Saturday - WAC (Weekend Arts College)
• Throughout the show, four sixth form students from Colbayns High School in Clacton operated an internet broadcasting station
• They broadcast using ChannelStorm's LiveChannel software facilitated by Ultralab
• Richard Millwood, Matthew Eaves, Hamish Scott-Brown from Ultralab supported the stand and fellow Apple Distinguished Educator David Baugh also supported the activities
• Staff from BFI Education and Film Education developed movie editing material based on the film Monsters Inc and on archive footage of the suffragett movement
• The stand also offered a showcase for BFI Education and Film Education materials and products

Ultralab contact:
Richard Millwood richard@ultralab.net

Colbayns High School contact:
Phil Langshaw P.Langshaw@tesco.net

Read more here.