Introduction
Various tools have been designed to allow people
to communicate from a distance. Some tools create
‘shared work spaces’ where participants can interact
with each other doing various activities. One of these
tools is HyperMirror.
HyperMirror is a tool that aims to create a shared
space that facilitates collaborative activities. In contrast to traditional videoconferencing systems,
HyperMirror allows local and remote participants to
feel as if they are in the same room, share materials,
and do collaborative activities using a single shared
video image. Utilizing these unique features of
HyperMirror, we have implemented various international distance learning projects using HyperMirror
between Japan and countries around the world for the
past several years.
However, our projects also used other tools in
addition to HyperMirror: standard video cameras,
overhead cameras, and cameras showing a shared
drawing space.
This paper provides information about our
HyperMirror projects and the use of HyperMirror
with other tools, and concludes looking at the role and
effectiveness of HyperMirror and other tools for dis-
tance learning.