Emerging Technologies Tetrad

At the time of this publication we have not yet developed the ability to create an augmented reality like the ones depicted in science fiction. The holodeck of Star Trek Next Generation’s Enterprise is still considerably far off in the distance. However, augmented reality is currently considered by many to be an emerging technology. One way to examine the impact of a technology as it emerges is to use McLuhan’s tetrad (Thornburg, 2013). To further understand the nature of augmented reality emerging into our society we will ask questions centered on each area of the tetrad.

1. Extension or enhancement – How will augmented reality extend or enhance the natural abilities or functions of the user? Augmented reality increases the connection between the real world and the digital world. “The result is a more effective demonstration of spatial and temporal concepts, as well as of the contextual relationships among real and virtual objects” (Billinghurst & Duenser, 2012 p. 56). Interacting with three dimensional objects in a three dimensional work space is simply more natural.
2. Obsolescence – What technologies or process could become obsolete as augmented reality grows in popularity? As this technology grows and continues to demonstrate its effectiveness as an educational tool using two dimensional modeling could become a thing of the past. Imagine using augmented reality to enter a virtual world where you can easily experiment with various engineering and design principles. This type of learning environment is one where computer screens and paper become a thing of the past.
3. Retrieval – The augmented reality can be seen as a revival or return to hands on learning activities. Often these are major features in early learning but seem to dwindle as the materials needed become more complex. Through augmented reality the size or complexity of the objects being manipulated is simply a matter of programing and design. This lowers the cost and even the space needed to a more reasonable level.
4. Reversal – What factors or developments could trigger a reversal of augmented reality? One possible catalyst that could trigger the reversal of augmented reality is 3D printing. If the cost of 3D printing continues to drop as the possible size of items created then it is possible that some aspects of augmented reality could be replaced with actual reality.

5.       

Reference

Billinghurst, M., & Duenser, A. (2012). Augmented reality in the classroom. Computer, (7), 56-63.

Thornburg, D. (2013e). Emerging technologies and McLuhan's laws of media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Identifying and Emerged Technology

In 1999 I began working in K12 education as a teacher and administrator. Through my experiences in first private schools then in public schools I have been able to observe the emergence of various learning and instructional technologies. Dr. Thornburg views emergent technologies as, “the very onset of discovery and demonstration of a technology well in advance of its use in products” (Thornburg, 2013e p. 1). Others may argue that technology remains emergent while it grows to a place where it becomes a “must have” for individuals in a particular field. Regardless of the definition of an emerging technology the term emerged technology should be applied to a technology that is clearly past the point of emerging.

A technology that has emerged in the past few years in the field of K12 education is the use of data projectors combined with document cameras being controlled by smartboards and computers for the purpose of delivering interactive and flexible lessons. While this technology is not new it has become expected in elementary and secondary classrooms. This state of being the norm rather than the exception in K12 classrooms is what makes this technology clearly emerged.

Some of the problems or challenges facing the implementation of this technology have been training and initial expense. Without training, practice, and real world experience teachers did not actually use any of the additional features or tools that previous technologies had. This created scenarios where instructors were using document cameras, video projectors, and computers to accomplish the same task that was previously done with a simple overhead projector. Another challenge was the initial cost. It is difficult to justify spending money on technologies that teachers do not yet know how to use to their full potential.

With each new presentation technology that teachers are given there seem to be three or four more cables or cords that must be connected. This is one of the pitfalls of this technology. Instructors who do not understand how the setup should work will not use it because getting everything to work properly is too difficult a task. This could be improved by adding wireless options that could be used to eliminate the majority of the cords. This technology already exists but is probably not being used because of increased cost.

The district I currently work in primarily uses the Lumens Ladybug document cameras. More information about these is available at http://www.lumens.com.tw/product_1_1.php?new_id=2&big_id=1&pageNum_news=0

Reference

Thornburg, D. (2013e). When is a technology emergent? Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Student Engagement (Final Project Video)

Moving Toward Dynamic Technologies

At this point I can see that as an educator I am strong in the dynamic area of content creation or generation. I am weaker in the dynamic areas of communication and collaboration. Currently I work in a school with limited student access to technology. However, I have had primarily positive experiences in my own graduate studies. These positive experiences have developed a desire to use more dynamic technologies with my instruction.

Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

Building Knowledge

Building knowledge involves moving from the lower level to higher order cognitive skills. Instead of memorizing and repeating information their knowledge should reflect their ability to synthesize and create using the data they have access to. Creating various types of multimedia products will allow students to demonstrate their ability assimilate and analyze data rather than simply recall that same data.

Engaging in Communication

Expanding social media across a broad range of today’s society provides educators with a rich selection of communication tools. One the challenges facing faculty in online distance programs is creating a culture where these common tools are used for strategic educational purposes. “To encourage high student interactivity in an online setting, the learning environment must be supportive, open, and respectful” (Durrington, Berryhill, & Swafford, 2006 p. 191). This type of interactive learning environment where all stakeholders are valued and respected will bring tremendous depth to the online classroom. It may even be possible to create online courses with higher levels of engaging communication than traditional face to face courses.

Authentic, Collaborative, Problem-based Tasks

No one likes to spend their time on busy work or tasks that seem to have no value or meaning. Online faculty members have the opportunity and responsibility to engage students in challenging real world tasks that stretch the limits of their abilities. This includes completing tasks that require collaboration with other students. In life there are often challenges that cannot be achieved through a single genius or mastermind. It is more realistic to conceive that a team of individuals with unique skills could work together to achieve a far greater feat than that of any single person. Real authentic tasks can be presented as text in collaborative workspaces or as problems in some type of virtual environment.

References

Durrington, V. A., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190−193. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's Accession Number: 19754742

Storyboard for Video Presentation

Todd Zakrajsek discusses student engagement and learning

Narrative	Visual
Define engagement	Children engaging in various activities
The relationship between student engagement and learning	Students engaging in learning activities
Into keynote speaker Dr. Todd Zakrajsek	Dr. Zakrajesek still picture
Highlights of Dr. Zakrajsek CV	Graphics showing institutions where Dr. Z has worked.
Dr. Z is actively involved in research and writing in the areas of faculty development, effective instructional strategies, and student learning.	Clips of Dr. Z speaking as well as still shots of publications and research projects.
Students who actively engage in the content being presented achieve greater academic growth.	Students engaging in hands on activities
What instructional strategies will have the greatest impact on increasing student engagement?	Board students staring at a teacher or video presentation.

Assessing Collaborative Efforts

The growth of structured collaboration and group learning within distance education has contributed to student engagement and brought new challenges for educators. As Dr. Siemens stated in the course video, “The challenge is: How do we change an assessment model based on individual learning to a model based on collaborative learning?” (Laureate, 2008). As the transition is occurring between an individual learning model and a collaborative learning community there are several assessment options to consider. Instead of looking at assessment as a separate component to teaching or learning it is more appropriate to view each component as an interdependent piece of the education process. Assessment, learning objectives, and instructional strategies must all be aligned to achieve the highest degree of success. If collaboration and group work is part of the learning objectives then they must also be included in assessment. Some of the possible options for assessment in an online learning environment include peer assessment, providing opportunities for participation in online communities where students receive direct feedback, assessment based on the value of student contribution, and assessment based on computer collected data (Laureate, 2008).  To provide the most comprehensive assessment more than one strategy should be used.

Another important consideration for developing the assessment component of an online program is whether the assessment is fair and equitable. “Assessment should be: fair and direct, based on stated outcomes, and equitable” (Laureate, 2008). It is also worth considering the weight placed on specific levels of achievement vs. student growth. There must be balance between these two aspects to create an accurate, fair, and equitable assessment component.

In addition to these considerations an educator should also consider the unique and individual characteristics of the students who will be enrolling in this program. Each student learns best in different ways and even has what Howard Gardner identifies as multiple intelligences. Students who are strong in the interpersonal intelligence will naturally do well in collaborative and group work. Those who are weak may struggle in this area. In order to meet the needs of these students it will be necessary to differentiate both instruction and assessment. Educators must also consider student growth as well as provide clear and measurable goals for student collaboration.  When these steps are taken students who may struggle with working in groups will have the best chance for success within the distance program.

Reference

Gardner, H. E. (2000). Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Int. Perseus Books Group.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of distance education: Assessment of collaborative learning. Baltimore, MD: Author.

The Evolution of Online Communication and its Impact on Distance Education

https://openclipart.org/download/201563/
cyberscooty-shaking-hands2.svg

One of the greatest contributing factors to the growing acceptance of online distance education is the evolution and development on communication. As online communication tools have continued to grow and develop the quality and the availability have increased. At the same time the cost of using these tools has also decreased. It is no longer a difficult task to interact with friends and family members through online video tools like skype, google hangouts, or face time. Not only has the necessary software become more user friendly but the necessary hardware has also become standard on most portable devices. Today’s technology consumers would be surprised to see a phone, tablet, or laptop that did not have a built in camera and microphone. The growing social acceptance and adoption of online social communication has contributed to the development of a student base that is just as comfortable with online communication as they are with a traditional face to face classroom experience. In some cases individuals may actually be more comfortable communicating online than they are in person.

The available technologies and the social adoption of online social interaction have in affect created a smaller world. “We are recognizing that the notion of distance or geographical separation isn’t as significant as we might have thought it was” (Laureate, 2008). These social and technological developments have created an ideal time for online distance education to grow and flourish.

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of distance education: The future of distance education.

Distance Education the Next Generation

Distance education is certainly an area of education that has seen its share of change over the years. While distance education is not a new phenomenon the growth of internet resources over the past couple of decades has brought rapid growth and change to this educational arena. Dr. Simonson defines distance education as, “Formal Education that is institutionally based where the learning group (the teacher, the students, and the resources) are separated by geography and sometimes be time” (Laureate Education, Inc. 2008). Using this definition to limit the scope of research it is possible to examine how the distance education programs of institutions have evolved. Some of the greatest ways in which distance education has changed over the years is seen in the increase of equivalent programs for distance students. Modern resources make collaboration and communication more practical to the point that students can attend distance programs that are based on the other side of the world. An examination of almost any higher education institution will reveal an, “explosive e-learning growth, most colleges and universities are willingly evolving to this new environment and providing some, if not a significant portion, of their educational offerings in web-based or other nontraditional formats” (Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. 2008, July/August). The increase in distance programs is not limited to higher education. This trend is also seen in corporate training and even in the K12 sector.

Considering the three articles covering the Evolution of Distance Education and the video clip from Dr. Simonson there seem to be a great deal of similarities. Dr. Simonson sees the future of distance education growing but not exploding or replacing the traditional brick and mortar university (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Moller, Foshay, Huett, and Coleman tend to focus more on the growing pains or current limitations found in the various distance education models. In the corporate training area of distance education the limitation center around poor quality and limited qualified instructional designers (Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J., 2008, May/June). Higher education communities are struggling with the time and effort needed to produce quality courses as well as the negative social stigma attached to distance education (Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J., 2008, July/August). In part because of its rather new and rapid growth the K12 distance education programs seem to be inundated with students who are unable or unwilling to function in a traditional classroom (Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C., 2008, September/October). As a result the effectiveness of these programs is difficult to measure and often questioned.

Considering the various perspectives of these articles and Dr. Simonson’s video it is clear that distance education will continue to grow and be a substantial force within education as a whole. What remains to be seen is how each of the various facets of education will seek to overcome the challenges that come with the growth of distance education.

Resources

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of distance education: Distance education: The next generation. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–67.