AdNode in the classroom

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Grandma Bates
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:13 pm
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AdNode in the classroom

Post by Grandma Bates »

We have a new sandbox ad system that is being tested now. We want to expand into having special classroom packages. We are running into some issues that we are struggling with in terms of creating something for classroom use. The issues are listed below. Any insights or ideas are welcome to help us sort things out.

Restrictions:
  1. The ads should appear when there is a class. The system has to know when there is a class going on.
  2. The system has to be able to deal with changes in class locations.
  3. We would like to have the system be able to target individual classes. For example, the ad board would need to know that a clothing class is going on to help target advertisers who are interested in this group of people.
  4. The system has to be easy to use and create the smallest burden possible on the instructors.
Options:
  1. Should we use sensors? Good part: They are accurate and easy. They also add to lag.
  2. Should it operate on a regular schedule. Problem: sometimes classes get changed or run late.
  3. Should the board operate by tough. Problem: instructors are busy and thinking about other things. It would be very easy to forget.
  4. Just have the instructors drop out an adboard and it self deletes in one hour. (Same problem as previous item.)
The question is how can we set up a system that will help us target specific classes, be reliable, and impose the smallest burden?

Any insight from instructors would be helpful. For example, if we gave you an ad display, how much of a distraction would it be to have to remember to put it up? How would the ad boards impact the classroom environment? (Ideally, we would not like to have these things in a classroom, but we also need to pay the bills.)
Varian Altney
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 4:22 pm

Re: AdNode in the classroom

Post by Varian Altney »

Let me throw another idea at you. What about a system which 'knew' the schedule and could detect if a teacher wasn't in their classroom, say, 5 or 10 mins before a class? A system teachers could 'talk' to (maybe on the website?), to indicate changed classes or instructors, and that could count class sizes (at least up to 16, the single sensor detection limit)?
Vee: "What part of 'demon' didn't you get?"

(Think you can teach? NCI needs YOU!)
Garn Conover
NCI Officer
Posts: 150
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 9:50 pm

Re: AdNode in the classroom

Post by Garn Conover »

one idea I had that I dunno how well it might work but its a thought... we have had the instructor ban system and the updated version which is similar that is touched by the instructor when they enter the classroom.. I'm not sure but could this possibly send a - channel message to the boards? Though that would also mean the ban system would need to be debuged and completely finished in the first place :)
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Varian Altney
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 4:22 pm

Re: AdNode in the classroom

Post by Varian Altney »

Getting to the questions you actually asked... if we worked off class kits held by HeyTeacher (which is what we should do, imo), then it would be easy to add an AdNode to the class kit, and have it delete at the end of the class. But because we essentially work off classes in our own inventories, only going to HeyTeacher when subbing, relying on teachers to rez adnodes could be a problem.

A touchable adnode in each classroom shouldn't be such a problem - except some of us will forget... Sensors: use them. If not running repeatedly in a short period, they aren't particularly laggy. Scan, detect teacher on list (website? inworld server?), pop up a question. Simple. Better still, work off the schedule.
Vee: "What part of 'demon' didn't you get?"

(Think you can teach? NCI needs YOU!)
fr43k Paine
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 8:52 pm
Location: Germany

Re: AdNode in the classroom

Post by fr43k Paine »

Garn Conover wrote:... we have had the instructor ban system and the updated version which is similar that is touched by the instructor when they enter the classroom...
*nod* We had the same idea, but people make mistakes. Please don't get me wrong, but I'd suggest that we do not rely on instructors/people in any way. People can forget to touch, or to disable it. I tought classes and as it was already mentioned (somewhere), instructors are often too busy (rezzing board, class materials, nc-reader, greeting students, send the group notice...), so it's easy to miss. Combining the ban-system with AdNode...too complicated and vulnerable imo.
Let's keep them separate, no more mishmash please.

I 'vote' for a timer. A class might start belated, but usually students attend at the right time.
And if a class should move, there might be a way to combine a timer and a scanner.
Timer starts, ads displaye
One thing that complicates the situation even more - what if there are not enough or too many clients (busy slots)? I mean, we have one client (landlord) who has so many slots, that they could cover 5 classes in a row. I see a huge problem with the balance/fairness there. Same if there is a class, that nobody wants to advertise with. :|
Kerhop Seattle
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 8:44 pm

Re: AdNode in the classroom

Post by Kerhop Seattle »

Restrictions:
1. The ads should appear when there is a class. The system has to know when there is a class going on.
2. The system has to be able to deal with changes in class locations.
3. We would like to have the system be able to target individual classes. For example, the ad board would need to know that a clothing class is going on to help target advertisers who are interested in this group of people.
4. The system has to be easy to use and create the smallest burden possible on the instructors.
1. Sensors when sensing can cause brief lag in the sim, if they don't occur often then the impact is very minimal. For the purpose of this one sensor scan every minute or even every five minutes should be more then frequent enough to determine class attendance.

2. Would it be too much of a burden for the class-allotment person to designate a primary and backup location? If not, then the targeted ad could show in both locations. Every classroom could have a primary ad-board and a backup ad-board.

3. Since the scheduling system knows the class being taught, when it's being taught, and it knows both the primary and backup classrooms it would know to send the targeted ad to both locations during specific times on specific days.

4. No impact on the instructor because sensors determine whether a class is in session, they only need to know the primary and backup locations for that particular class.

As a paying advertiser I would be just fine with this system. In the odd chance that both the primary and backup locations don't sense avatars (i.e. teacher cancelled, not enough showed up, both sims were down) then just credit the advertiser's account toward a future class.
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