Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF DECEMBER 03, 2004 FBO #1103
SOURCES SOUGHT

D -- Naval Engineering Distance Learning Source Survey

Notice Date

12/1/2004
 

Notice Type

Sources Sought
 

NAICS

611310 — Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
 

Contracting Office

Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Procurement), MMA-5206, Division of Procurement, Kings Point, NY, 11024-1699
 

ZIP Code

11024-1699
 

Solicitation Number

Reference-Number-DOIT05-100
 

Response Due

12/30/2004
 

Archive Date

1/14/2005
 

Description

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy?s (USMMA?s) Department of Marine Engineering has been authorized to offer a graduate program and appropriate degree in Marine Engineering. Program admissions will begin shortly, and the first cohort of students is expected to begin their graduate studies in November 2005. Students admitted to the program will be attending classes by synchronous Distance Learning. In order to provide the faculty with experience in classroom instruction using synchronous Distance Learning technologies, the USMMA anticipates a competitive selection of a product and service provider (i.e., a single entity) by not later than the spring of 2005. Initial use of a synchronous Distance Learning service will begin in that same timeframe, and continue in limited use throughout Calendar Year 2005 until classes in the Marine Engineering program begin in November 2005. Faculty will conduct hybrid on-campus synchronous instruction in selected courses in the undergraduate programs of Marine Engineering. This early use will permit faculty teaching in the Naval Architecture degree program the opportunity to acquire and refine their synchronous class planning, class management, and class administration skills. It is anticipated that six-to-eight faculty at a given time will eventually participate in the Marine Engineering degree program. Some faculty members will teach at least one elective undergraduate course using the synchronous Distance Learning course prior to their first teaching assignment in the graduate degree program. The USMMA is interested in identifying combinations of products and service providers which will meet the needs of conducting synchronous classroom education in its forthcoming graduate program in Marine Engineering. Any potential source shall identify its capabilities in relation to the required supplies and services AND whether those supplies and services can be provided under existing Federal Supply Schedules. Those needs can be categorized as follows: [1] Appropriate Protocols, Web Enabled Products with an Appropriate Visual Metaphor [2] Service Providers with Sufficient Internet Bandwidth and Continuation of Operations Capabilities [3] Course Material Storage for Forthcoming/Current Classes [4] Course Material Storage for Past Class Sessions [5] Student Help Desk Support [6] Course Production Assistants and Assistance APPROPRIATE PROTOCOLS, WEB ENABLED PRODUCTS with an APPROPRIATE VISUAL METAPHOR -- The product must support H.323 and T.120 protocols, or other acceptable Internet protocols, that offer voice/audio, whiteboard, application sharing, and if needed, video communication. The product must be supported entirely by a web client operating on recent versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox web browsers. The product must provide an effective, easy-to-learn visual metaphor for the conduct of synchronous learning and participation. Faculty members must be able to call for questions among the students, identify students with questions, restrict the ability to put forth questions, and to select students whose questions s/he wishes to accept. Transcripts of text message exchanges must exist. Faculty must be able to edit transcripts and organize subsets of the transcripts in a manner chosen. Students and faculty must be able to converse through audio and text messaging services. When required, video communications must not "crowd out" audio and text communications. SERVICE PROVIDERS with SUFFICIENT INTERNET BANDWIDTH and CONTINUATION of OPERATIONS CAPABILITIES -- Students and faculty will be connecting to the Internet via commercial service providers, or the USMMA network, with DSL, cable modems, or corporate LANS. The service provider offering this product must have operations supported from 9:00am to 10pm EST , Monday through Thursday --except for Federal Holidays. Service Providers must have Internet access of at least an OC3 connection, and at no time during the conduct of a USMMA course can the aggregate demand of the Academy's students and faculty meet or exceed 10% of the Service Provider's connection bandwidth. Service Providers must have an alternate site to support their operations in the event the primary site is compromised and cannot function acceptably. The alternate site must provide the same bandwidth support as the primary site. COURSE MATERIAL STORAGE for FORTHCOMING/CURRENT CLASSES -- The Service Provider must provide each instructor with a minimum of 50GB of storage for each week's classes. The instructor must have full read/write, directory, cut-and-paste, drag-and-drop, administrative privileges, and a visual metaphor for the file system, like that found in Microsoft XP Professional. All file storage must be replicated at least nightly to ensure a minimum loss of data in the event of a storage failure. Restoring lost files and data must take place on demand, and not exceed one hour from the time the request is made by the instructor. COURSE MATERIAL STORAGE PAST CLASS SESSIONS -- The Service Provider must retain the directory structure, folders, and all files for completed class sessions for a period of not less than 15 weeks. At the end of 15 weeks, all course materials are to be transferred to DVD/CD and provided to the USMMA. STUDENT HELP DESK SUPPORT -- The Service Provider must offer toll-free access to a Student Help Desk that is staffed an hour before each class session, during the class session, and one hour following the end of each class session. Help Desk Staff must be trained to provide support for Internet connection issues and PC configuration issues. There must be a Help Desk web site, and the web site must support incident reporting, publishing current performance metrics, and hosting a relevant FAQ list. COURSE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS and ASSISTANCE -- The Service Provider must provide each class session with a trained staff member to assist the class instructor.
 

Place of Performance

Address: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York

Zip Code: 11024-1699

Country: US
 

Record

SN00715063-W 20041203/041201211728 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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