Featured Site: Films for Learning
Where? http://www.filmsforlearning.org/
Developer: Altius Consulting

The Site

Films for Learning is an innovative approach to education that combines collaborative moviemaking, video learning and social networking. Peter Roe and Mark Richardson, educators from the acclaimed Dorset, UK Thomas Hardye School, believed that educational films could have more impact by being shorter and more engaging to typical students. Roe and Richardson further thought that student-produced films would create a double learning experience, advancing the subject for both the student filmmakers and the viewers. “You can’t make a film about something if you don’t understand it,” explains Richardson. The Films for Learning website currently features about 150 student-made educational films on varied topics—including photosynthesis, Darwinism, and French—that are available for classroom and personal use. The site is powered by Microsoft ® Silverlight™ browser plug-in development tool and Windows Live ID identity authentication system, two components of the Microsoft Windows Live™ network of Internet services. Silverlight provides the rich multimedia viewing experience for the viewer, and Live ID provides secure authentication for Films for Learning members who wish to upload content.

Why the Windows Live Platform?

Roe cites a number of benefits of Windows Live services. “First, there is the quality of Silverlight conversion from the original video source,” says Roe. “There is nothing else out there at the moment that compares, especially at full screen. It makes for a very compelling viewing experience.” Other advantages of the Windows Live Platform include:

• Ease of use enables fast development at minimal cost.
• Strong security provided by Windows Live ID. Every submitted video undergoes rigorous review to make sure it is appropriate for the intended audience. “We have to provide a safe, secure educational resource,” says Roe. “We needed a strong authentication and registration process for uploaded content, and Live ID provides that.”
• A strong third-party Microsoft Partner developer network and online support provides helpful technical support.

Programming Environment

Developers at Altius (http://altiusconsulting.com/) used Microsoft Virtual Studio 2008, .NET 3.5, Team Foundation Server 2008, and Microsoft Expression Suite (specifically Blend) to create the site. The database was Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (Standard Edition). The code-behind is primarily in C#, and Silverlight in JavaScript. Many of the children who create the films use Microsoft Windows MovieMaker, a download that provides tools to create, edit, and share home movies.

Under the Hood

The following JavaScript code illustrates the prompt for Windows Live ID sign in, and the associated page code for the control to redirect to the Windows Live login site.

<live:IDLoginView ID="LoginView" runat="server" ApplicationIDConfigKey="wll_appid" ApplicationSecretConfigKey="wll_secret"
 PromptOnAssociation="false">

<AnonymousTemplate>
  <div id="logged-in-user">
    <a href="mailto:info@filmsforlearning.org">Contact Us</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
  </div>
  <div id="home-login-panel">
    <div id="home-login-body">
      <p id="already-member">Already a member?</p>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div style="display: block;" id="anonymous-user">
    <uc1:Login ID="Login" runat="server" />
      <span id="sign-in-or-sign-up">or</span>
    <uc1:Signup ID="Signup" LinkText="Upload your first film here" runat="server" />
  </div>
</AnonymousTemplate>

</live:IDLoginView>