Library Briefings

Pixzilla and TeamSpot

Head-turning technologies for collaborative learning

Two new innovative technologies are available in the Library’s Information Commons (IC) this fall, which faculty are urged to explore for their own purposes and publicize to potential student users. TeamSpot features a large plasma screen on which multiple users can easily share and edit documents for group projects. Pixzilla features a tiled wall display—12 high-resolution screens combined—that allows users to view about 30 times more information than they could see on a personal computer screen, while giving them the capability to zoom in on the image’s small details.

With its own small study nook on the west border of the IC, TeamSpot offers a less formal alternative to the Project Room, which also facilitates group project work. Any group of two or more users can network their laptops with the plasma screen, which essentially becomes a large desktop on which they can share documents. Participants can select options that allow them to upload documents for viewing only (for instance, a PowerPoint presentation) or for shared editing by the other participants. The shared editing function drastically increases the efficiency of document revision that would otherwise have to be accomplished by emailing the document around to all members of a group, then collating and tracking all the individuals’ revisions. At the end of a TeamSpot session, the shared document on the plasma screen—now incorporating the whole group’s revisions—is automatically saved to everyone’s individual laptop.

TeamSpot is easy to work with. Once a user logs on, instructions appear to guide participants along. For more information about TeamSpot, consult the Web site, which also offers a demo. To reserve time on TeamSpot in the IC, call the information desk at x1-7658.

Located on the IC’s north wall, Pixzilla is an “interactive, ultra-high resolution, collaborative display environment” that was developed by NUIT Academic Technologies. Like Tiled Wall Displays that have been developed at other universities, its primary purpose is to allow scholars whose work involves manipulating huge amounts of data—for instance, astronomers—to visualize their data in manageable ways.

Unlike systems at other universities, Pixzilla was developed specifically to be easy to use. Says NUIT Architect for Visualization Dr. Doug Roberts, “With those other systems, typically you’d need a technician mediating the user’s interaction with the system.” But, he notes, any user can walk up to Pixzilla, activate its touch-panel, browse its phenomenal library of high-resolution images, and manipulate their mega- and micro-views on the TWD. Additionally, any authenticated Northwestern user can upload their own images through the Web interface and view them on the Pixzilla display.

By situating Pixzilla in the IC, says Associate Director of NUIT Academic Technologies Bob Davis, its creators are hoping to explore its full potential. “We want people to experiment with it, so that we can determine how it could be most useful for teaching or research,” he says. “We’re putting it in a public space because we want to encourage faculty who are interested to come interact with it, and give us feedback.”

For the moment, Pixzilla is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions or comments about its usage should be directed to Doug Roberts at doug-roberts@northwestern.edu or x7-5986.