TransPoint

Abstract

Conventional ways of delivering lecture slides and lecturer scenes for synchronous remote lectures have several challenges in terms of resource and attention management. We present TransPoint, an interactive remote lecturing system that combines lecture slides and lecturer scenes via adaptive transparency. The natural teaching behavior of the lecturer and contextual cues are used to selectively adjust the overlaid transparency of the slides and to augment 2 way interactions between the lecturer and remote students. We conducted a comparative user study to study remote student experiences with 3 ways of delivering lecture slides and lecturer scenes: (1) TransPoint, (2) Picture-in-Picture, and (3) Total Shot. We found that TransPoint could coordinate remote students’ attention according to the lecture contexts and improve real-time interaction between the lecturer and remote students. We have also conducted exploratory study and another comparative user study. With the field insights from the exploratory study, TransPoint was updated to the final version, and compared with Picture-in-Picture format at the second user study to test lecturer experience. The results showed that TransPoint improved lecturing experience in terms of remote student coordination, improved real-time interaction, and delivering lecturer intention naturally. Based on the results, we discuss system design implications and generic issues of synchronous remote lecture.