Work plan

The project is organized into 6 work packages, to be developed over a span of 30 months from September 2021 to March 2023. While two of them focuses on user experience and system requirement identification, as well as system validation (WP1 and 5), other three are predominantly technical (WP2, 3, 4) and the last (WP6) consolidates project management and coordination tasks, including dissemination and exploitation of results.

A summarized description of each WP can be found below the diagram.

Work packages structure

WP1. USER CONSULTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS DEFINITION.

This phase focuses on consulting end users, including teachers and institutional actors from the universities involved. It aims to explore CloudClass technology’s application in specific learning contexts, involving diverse education professionals. The result comprises detailed content specifications, an integration plan for seamless integration, and ongoing end-user consultation for iterative solution development and design decisions.

WP2. VIDEO CAPTURE, ANALYSYS AND PROCESSING.

This WP aims to optimize the setup for capturing teachers and students in a cost-effective and space-efficient manner. It involves adapting video capture techniques, including green screen technology for background extraction, silhouette-to-volume extraction for 3D modeling, and image analysis for teacher tracking, excluding tracking for students.

WP3. GRAPHIC ENGINE UPDATES AND RENDERING EFFECTS.

It aims to integrate the video stream solution into the graphic engine for inserting remote teacher video streams into a virtual environment. It includes designing and testing render approaches, creating graphic effects, preparing the engine for video output to the server, and exploring smart phone IMU sensors for figure insertion.

WP4. CLOUDCLASS VIDEO STREAMING SERVICE.

This work package aims to design and implement an app for teachers to stream their images to the CloudClass server. It involves extending video streaming capabilities to include real-time Smart phone IMU data, optimizing the technological performance for shared memory video frame transmission, and integrating it into the CloudClass system for broadcasting teacher streams on the internet.

WP5. SYSTEM VERIFICATION, REFINEMENTS AND VALIDATION.

In this phase, the CloudClass system will be tested first with teachers, focusing on installation and usability of content tools. Subsequently, validation will occur on a larger scale with teachers and students. Objectives include adopting a consistent assessment methodology, defining guidance for validation activities, conducting initial user testing, and a comprehensive evaluation covering quality, usability, affective impact, and pedagogical value. The aim is to meet stakeholders’ needs and confirm robust project achievements.

WP6. PROJECT MANAGEMENT, DISSEMINATION AND EXPLOITATION.

Finally, WP6 focuses on efficient project management, communication coordination, financial monitoring, and strategic dissemination. Goals include establishing performance standards, managing communication flows, developing a coherent dissemination strategy, creating a dynamic web presence, forming an online community of interest, organizing marketing presentations and road-show demonstrations, managing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), establishing a consolidated business model, and managing ethical issues throughout the project.