Advancing Online Education through New Technology

Technology is advancing at a rapid rate and our daily lives rely on much of this new technology.  We use it for business, to connect socially, and as an educational tool, but while the demand for technology is on the rise so is the need for greater utilization. Education is the cornerstone of civilization and community, and during this current economic and unemployment crisis we have the power to utilize our technology to advance peoples lives.   By combining the technology of the Microsoft Kinect and holographic virtual reality, we can take the 2-dimensional online education experience and augment it into our 3-dimensional world. 

Advanced technology is no longer a thing of science fiction.  Primarily used for video games the Microsoft Kinect uses "a highly innovative combination of cameras, microphones and software that turns your body into the video game controller."  (Crawford, n.d.) These combinations in conjunction with virtual reality or holographic technology can be used to help advance online education. 

As a throw back to the Holodeck of Star Trek, the device in question is called the Holoclass. By combining the functionality of the Microsoft Kinect with the illusionary realism of holographic technology, the student can step outside of a 2-dimensional box and into the 3-dimensional world of a physical classroom.

A study done by Abigail Hawkins and Charles Graham indicates that, "teachers in distance education had to assume a greater managerial or technical role in online learning environments than in traditional classrooms to prevent students from getting lost or forgotten." (2012)

While not every student wants the connectivity this could provide, some do, but are not able to relocate to the school they wish to attend.  The idea behind the Holoclass came from hearing complaints about students feeling disconnected in their current online platform. This got me thinking, what if we could virtually bring the classroom to them.  Imagine that the student could turn on their computer and have the classroom and those attending the class, get projected into the comfort of their own home. This would allow them to attend live lectures, ask questions in real time, and present work for critique in a live setting. It is "critical that teachers avoid the assumption that online learners are those who prefer less personal contact with instructors, are independent learners, have high motivation to learn, are self-disciplined and have high personal self-efficacy." (Hawkins and Graham, 2012) By bringing the classroom to them, they will not only get a sense of connectivity but  could also get time with their instructor not found in the traditional virtual platform.

This of course does not exclude those who want the anonymity that online offers.  If the student wishes not to attend live lectures, the instructor can prerecord a lecture that the student can access.  Like in video games, the student will act as the remote and interact with the material the instructor is presenting.  In regards to the Kinect technology used in video games, Eddie Wrenn (2012) says, "Instead of being tied to a controller, players could use their body to control the action in a myriad ways - for instance virtually pulling back a bow and arrow, or dancing as the console rated how good (or bad) you are at copying on-screen celebrities."  This idea could be translated into the educational system.

Hearing there is a disconnect between my class and myself, can be unnerving. Since reaching every student is not possible in the online world, the Holoclass is a way to offer more connectivity.  Of course, as advanced as the technology is, it is still up to the individual to access the materials given to them.  During the discussion of this technology Rori Paul mentioned, "From being able to "be in" the classroom for a more interactive experience to being in a meeting to "feeling" an experience while remaining safe from its true effects allows us another level of understanding and interaction we currently do not have."

The reach of this technology can and should reach more than just those seeking a degree in higher education, but for the moment the focus is just on them.  With the unemployment rate staying high, many people are seeking degrees to better themselves or compete in the job market, but are finding cost to be preventative. If we fold this into the cost of attendance and give more people accessibility to the classroom experience, college can become a reality for everyone.

References

Crawford, S. (n.d.). HowStuffWorks "How Microsoft Kinect Works". HowStuffWorks "Electronics". Retrieved from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/microsoft-kinect.htm

Fahey, M. (2010, November 3). Holographic Technology Is the Next 3D. Kotaku, the Gamer’s Guide. Retrieved from http://kotaku.com/5680798/holographic-technology-is-the-next-3d

Wagstaff, K. (2011, October 20). Microsoft Comes Closer to Star Trek’s Holodeck With Its Holodesk | Techland | TIME.com. Techland | News and reviews from the world of gadgets, gear, apps and the web | TIME.com. Retrieved from http://techland.time.com/2011/10/20/star-trek-in-real-life-microsoft-develops-new-holodesk/

Wagstaff, K. (2012, August 16). The Technology Behind the Tupac Hologram at Coachella | Techland | TIME.com. Techland | News and reviews from the world of gadgets, gear, apps and the web | TIME.com. Retrieved from http://techland.time.com/2012/04/16/the-science-behind-the-tupac-hologram-at-coachella/

Wrenn, E. (2012, September 12). Microsoft files patent to bring Star Trek's 'Holodeck' to future Xbox consoles | Mail Online. Home | Mail Online. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2202062/Microsoft-files-patent-bring-Star-Treks-Holodeck-future-Xbox-consoles.html

Image References

Steele, M. (2008, July 1). HowStuffWorks "How Holographic Environments Will Work". HowStuffWorks "Electronics". Retrieved from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/holographic-environment.htm

Wrenn, E. (n.d.). Microsoft files patent to bring Star Trek's 'Holodeck' to future Xbox consoles | Mail Online. Home | Mail Online. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2202062/Microsoft-files-patent-bring-Star-Treks-Holodeck-future-Xbox-consoles.html

Digital Citizenship

In the world we live in today, it is almost impossible not to have some sort of digital presence.  E-mail has replaced snail mail, texting has replaced phone calls, and Facebook has replaced conversations.  As sad as this is, I am finding it to be true, especially after looking at my own digital footprint.  I am connected.  My phone is always with me and I check it a 100 times a day.  It has become an extension of my right arm, but I never fully realized how "plugged-in" I was until sitting down and looking at how I connect with those around me. 

I live in a state that has no connection to my family.  My immediate family lives in Georgia; I in Florida, and my extended family reside in West Texas.  I stay in touch with my childhood friends through Facebook, my college and industry colleagues through Twitter.  I met my fiancé on an online dating website and I work with a few warm bodies, but teach online. After college, my world went physical interaction to nearly all digital and with the exception of the occasional national session, I attend school in an online platform.  However, with as much as my life is online, I feel more connected to people than ever before.  According to a study done on Facebook and the relationship it has to social capital, "It is clear that the Internet facilitates new connections, in that it provides people with an alternative way to connect with others who share their interests or relational goals."

I do not believe the Internet has changed how we connect with people but rather the ease in which it happens.  You no longer need to ask a person what their interests are to get to know them, but rather can click on their interests, join a site, or receive updates from like-minded people by simply clicking a button. To give an example of this connectivity outside of the typical e-mail or tweet, I will refer to the online petition site Change.org.  According to Reuters, via Yahoo.com, "The mother of a gay California Boy Scout denied an Eagle award because of his sexual orientation is fighting to overturn the decision before he turns 18, the cut-off date for the organization's highest honor,” they go onto say, "A petition launched by Andresen on Change.org, an Internet social change platform, calls on his troop to reject the Boy Scouts of America's discriminatory policy against gays and give the California teenager his Eagle rank." I use this as an example because, while the online world is a way to stay connected with those closest to us, it is also a way to spark social change. This is an area of the digital world that has just started to take hold.

Like in any society the advancements made can be used for great things, but they can also become a hindrance.  At a Ted Talk in February, Sherry Turkle talks about how technology has become a way for us to be together without being together, "People text or do email during corporate board meetings. They text and shop and go on Facebook during classes, during presentations, actually during all meetings. People talk to me about the important new skill of making eye contact while you're texting," she adds, "We are getting used to a new way of being alone together."

As I mentioned in a discussion post from class, "with great power comes great responsibility." (Spider Man, 2002) Ok so I quoted rather than mentioned, but this idea fits with what I have been talking about.  There needs to be a balance between how we juggle our online persona and our real life persona.  In his book, Ohler mentions (p.55), "a mediated culture changes a number of traditional roles, causing "'a very discernible rearrangement of the social stages on which our roles and [that causes] a resulting change in our sense of 'appropriate behavior'" (as cited in Meyrowitz, 1985, p.4).

This change, if not recognized can send us down the wrong path where we are alone. However, if we recognize it, we can use it to our advantage and become successful digital citizens.  We need to balance how we act online and not ignore the real world around us.  Clay Shirky, in his TED Talk tells us about two values, Civic value and Communal value. The former is the "value created by the participants but enjoyed by society as a whole." and the latter is the "value created by the participants for each other." In certain ways we create material (i.e. pictures of cute cats, the new apartment we just moved into, and emails to a far away relative) to stay in touch just for each other.  In other ways, as in the online petition and social issue blogs, we create material for ourselves that will help society as a whole. 

We live in this world, both physically and digitally, so as citizens it is up to us to take care of it.  We need to understand our physical world to participate in the digital one, which means finding a balance between the betterment of ourselves and the betterment of society.  We should transfer what we've learned in the real world and apply it to the digital realm and become citizens of both. 

References:

Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C. and Lampe, C. (2007), The Benefits of Facebook “Friends:” Social Capital and College Students’ Use of Online Social Network Sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12: 1143–1168. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x

Liston, B. (2012, October 5). Mother of gay California Boy Scout fights for Eagle award - Yahoo! News. Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines. Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/mother-gay-california-boy-scout-fights-eagle-award-034229703.html

Ohler, J. (2010). Digital Community, Digital Citizen. CA: Corwin.

Shirky, C. (2010). YouTube: How cognitive surplus will change the world. Retrieved October 2, 2012 from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/clay_shirky_how_cognitive_surplus_will_change_the_world.html

Spider-Man (2002) - Memorable quotes. (n.d.). IMDb - Movies, TV and Celebrities. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145487/quotes

Turke, S. (2012, February). Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone? | Video on TED.com [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/sherry_turkle_alone_together.html

Image References:

References

Meinhardt, K. (n.d.). Digital Citizenship – Addressing CyberBullying, Online Safety and Nettiquette Educational Social Media. Edsome - Educational Social Media. Retrieved from http://edsome.com/2010/05/digital-citizenship/

Mike (2010, August 20). 3 Rules to Help Avoid Vision Problems Caused by Texting | Integrated Eyecare Blog. Integrated Eyecare Blog | Enhancing the quality of your vision today, while protecting the health of your eyes for tomorrow. Retrieved from http://blog.iebend.com/2010/08/3-rules-to-help-avoid-vision-problems-caused-by-texting/

Rhondda (2008, November 8). Digital citizenship and the choices we make « Rhondda's Reflections – wandering around the Web. Rhondda's Reflections – wandering around the Web. Retrieved from http://rhondda.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/digital-citizenship-and-the-choices-we-make/

Yearbook Club: I'll Take Your Word For It - Cheezburger. (2012, October 7).Cheezburger: All your funny in one place. Retrieved from http://cheezburger.com/6635657728

Connectivity and the digital world

"The tie that binds us to our ancestors is that both ancient and digital-age humans crave community and all the things that make community possible." (Isbout & Ohler, 2011) This was the quote I used to open my discussion post this week because the success of our technology lies in the social constructs of how we use it.  Animals of all sorts, especially humans, crave connectivity with their own. We are drawn to social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin because we can expand our social base, reconnect with old friends, and connect with new people who we share a common interest with. 

I found the discussion that followed my initial post fascinating.  Colleen Cleveland wrote, "I think we are still in the digital infancy of being able to connect to people solely through digital means." We have only begun to scratch the surface of what we are capable of and what our technology can do for us.  In the world of online learning there needs to be a balance between the digital native and the digital immigrant.  This was a question asked by Monica Helms.  The way our technology works we can still feel isolated even though we are connected digitally with people all over the globe, but by mixing in a physical component we connect with everyone and remain connected throughout the online process.

Marc Prensky call this generation Digital Natives, those who are born have and speak the language of the digital world. The digital native is not only used to processing, providing, and receiving information at an accelerated rate, but he/she is also an active participant with the information flow.  In 1999, Hollywood released a film, where mankind was "plugged-in" to the web; their world generated and projected by machines, blissfully unaware that what they were experiencing was a hoax.  This film was called the Matrix and as much as this was science fiction, how much fiction did it really contain?  Sure we are not "plugged-in" through ports hooked up to our head and machines do not control our lives, but we are active participants in the digital world.  We are more connected through technology than ever before, text instead of talk on the phone, talk to our televisions instead of watch it, and download an eBook instead of pulling an actual book off the shelf. 

Larry Taylor finished the discussion I mentioned earlier by suggesting, "our emerging digital platforms are simply bridges and conduit for building a relationship." Technology should not be used as a replacement for human connectivity, but instead we should use it as a bridge to connect us.   

Prensky, Marc. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon.

Ohler, Jason B. (2010). Digital community, digital citizen. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

Isbout, JP and Ohler, J. (2011) "From Aristotle to Augmented Reality," Chapter from The Oxford Handbook of Media Psychology (Editor, Dill).