On 11/30/2011,
in animation, biology, chemistry, interactivity, science, simulations, teaching & learning, tools,
by Daniel Christian
On 10/28/2011,
in 21st century, emerging technologies, innovation, media/film, science, simulations, visualizing information,
by Daniel Christian
Simulation beyond perspective — from noemalab.eu by Pier Luigi Capucci
The discourse of holography as a tool for imagery, art, media studies and science.
Excerpt:
Holography suggests a new visual universe within a culture where the visual simulation is the most effective communication system; and it let us reflect about the need for a more comprehensive definition of “image”. We can believe that future images will also be holographic and that we shall communicate more and more through them, in a delicate balance between presence and absence, immediacy and remoteness, present and past, materiality and immateriality, matter and energy.
On 06/28/2011,
in animation, biology, digital learning, education technology, India, K-12 related, mobile learning, simulations, using teams,
by Daniel Christian
Per Nicola Santiago at Punflay:
- We develop educational iPhone/iPad apps for kids. Our Frog Dissection app which is being used in many schools was awarded the Mark Twain’s Ethical Science award by PETA and was also selected as the Best Science app by IEAR. We also have a Rat Dissection app in the store.
Side reflection from DSC:
This type of work shows the power of using teams of specialists. One person can’t do it all anymore — we need to face up to this fact and stop thinking that simply providing more professional development is the answer. I realize that using textbooks brings in teams of specialists — but it seems to me that we still think that simply by providing more professional development, our teachers and professors will be able to meet the constantly (and quickly) rising bar. That type of approach has outlived its usefulness and it just won’t cut it anymore; we do our students a major disservice by clinging to that outdated, status-quo-based model.
How can we move to using more teams of specialists to create and deliver our educational materials?
Nice work to the teams at Punflay in India!
On 06/16/2011,
in 3D, art, career development, content development, aggregation, repositories, ideas, multimedia, music, new media literacies, reading, science, simulations, staying relevant, STEAM-related, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning,
by Daniel Christian
In science and math classes across the country, digital tools are being used to conduct experiments, analyze data, and run 3-D simulations to explain complex concepts. Language arts teachers are now pushing the definition of literacy to include the ability to express ideas through media. This report, “Multimedia Transformation,” examines the many ways multimedia tools are transforming teaching and learning as schools work to raise achievement and prepare students for careers that require increasingly sophisticated uses of technology.
On 06/14/2011,
in 21st century, career development, corporate universities / corporate training, educational games / serious games, instructional design, simulations, training / L&D, transmedia, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Instructional Design for Simulations — from the University of Central Florida
Training and educational programs are now incorporating stand-alone and PC-based simulations and instructional (video) games to enhance human performance. The result has been a growing demand for simulation, game-based training, and instructional systems in corporate, government, and education sectors. The Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design for Simulations takes an interdisciplinary approach to prepare educators, instructional designers, human resource personnel, and training specialists in corporate, industry, and educational settings. Students will acquire the skills to successfully work with engineers, graphic artists, computer programmers, and game developers to design training and instructional systems, focusing on the pedagogical aspects of stand-alone and PC-based desktop training and educational simulations and games. To learn more, visit the Instructional Technology website at: http://education.ucf.edu/insttech.
Required Courses: 15 Total Credit Hours
Courses are available both in Web-based and mixed mode (reduced seat time) formats. This program may be completed entirely online.
EME 6613 Instructional System Design
EME 6601 Instructional Simulation Design for Training and Education
EME 6614 Instructional Game Design for Training and Education
IDS5717C Introduction to Modeling and Simulation
DIG 6432 Transmedia Story Creation
For information contact:
Atsusi Hirumi, Ph.D., Associate Professor
College of Education…
On 04/09/2011,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, change, colleges, convergence, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, e-books, e-readers, education, education reform, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, entrepreneurship, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, global / globalization, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), hybrid learning, immersion, informal learning, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interaction design, interactivity, interface design, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning agents, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, lifelong learning, marketplaces, mobile learning, mobile technologies, multi-touch, multimedia, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, pace of change, personalized/customized learning, platforms, play, podcasting, professional development, reinvent, RSS, simulations, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, social media, society, storytelling, strategy, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, surviving, tablets, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, technology (general), telecommunications, telepresence, television, transmedia, trends, ubiquitous learning, universities, user experience (UX), using teams, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, webinars,
by Daniel Christian
Daniel Christian:
A Vision of Our Future Learning Ecosystems
In the near future, as the computer, the television, the telephone (and more) continues to converge, we will most likely enjoy even more powerful capabilities to conveniently create and share our content as well as participate in a global learning ecosystem — whether that be from within our homes and/or from within our schools, colleges, universities and businesses throughout the world.
We will be teachers and students at the same time — even within the same hour — with online-based learning exchanges taking place all over the virtual and physical world. Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) — in the form of online-based tutors, instructors, teachers, and professors — will be available on demand. Even more powerful/accurate/helpful learning engines will be involved behind the scenes in delivering up personalized, customized learning — available 24x7x365. Cloud-based learner profiles may enter the equation as well.
The chances for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship that are coming will be mind-blowing! What employers will be looking for — and where they can look for it — may change as well.
What we know today as the “television” will most likely play a significant role in this learning ecosystem of the future. But it won’t be like the TV we’ve come to know. It will be much more interactive and will be aware of who is using it — and what that person is interested in learning about. Technologies/applications like Apple’s AirPlay will become more standard, allowing a person to move from device to device without missing a beat. Transmedia storytellers will thrive in this environment!
Much of the professionally done content will be created by teams of specialists, including the publishers of educational content, and the in-house teams of specialists within colleges, universities, and corporations around the globe. Perhaps consortiums of colleges/universities will each contribute some of the content — more readily accepting previous coursework that was delivered via their consortium’s membership.
An additional thought regarding higher education and K-12 and their Smart Classrooms/Spaces:
For input devices…
The “chalkboards” of the future may be transparent, or they may be on top of a drawing board-sized table or they may be tablet-based. But whatever form they take and whatever is displayed upon them, the ability to annotate will be there; with the resulting graphics saved and instantly distributed. (Eventually, we may get to voice-controlled Smart Classrooms, but we have a ways to go in that area…)
Below are some of the graphics that capture a bit of what I’m seeing in my mind…and in our futures.
Alternatively available as a PowerPoint Presentation (audio forthcoming in a future version)
— from Daniel S. Christian | April 2011
- Hunch brings predictions to Internet TV — from ReadWriteWeb.com by Mike Melanson
- Group video calling comes to iPhone & Android in Fring beta test – from Mashable.com by Jennifer Van Grove
- State of the Art Tutoring is Going Online — from chatam.patch.com by K.F. Rogers (originally saw at Ray Schroeder’s blog)
- Storytelling: Video games’ next killer app — from CNN.com by Scott Steinberg
- YouTube finally launches live streaming portal to select partners — from ReadWriteWeb.com by Marshall Kirkpatrick
- The art of immersion, digital storytelling and transmedia — from Six Pixels of Separation
- Reversing course, U. of California to borrow millions for online classes — from The Chronicle by Josh Keller
- Non-stop Learning Futures conference spans three time zones to mirror demands of 24/7 global society — from 24dash.com
- Call for presentations: Online learning, teaching, and research in the new media ecology — from Ray Schroeder and the Sloan Consortium
…It is clear that we are in the midst of rapid and ongoing changes in the way that we communicate and represent ideas and these changes have profound consequence for how we know, learn, think, and teach in higher education and beyond. The dizzying pace of change is highlighted by the fact that even the relatively new conventions of online education associated with asynchronous learning networks are being challenged by emerging means of access, such as mobile and cloud computing, new forms of communication, such as video streaming and instant messaging, as well as the innovative modes of participation represented in social media.
Addendum on 4-14-11:
- Surprise! Online TV is billion-dollar biz — from cnn.com
On 04/04/2011,
in biology, chemistry, geography / geology, physics, science, simulations, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning,
by Daniel Christian
Science Simulations: A Virtual Learning Environment — from Journey in Technology by Dolores Gende
Where do I find simulations?
One of the best websites for science simulations is PhET from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Originally founded by Physics Nobel Prize laureate Carl Weiman, PhET provides fun, interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena for free. These simulations can be downloaded or played directly on your browser.
Teachers can access the Teacher Ideas & Activities page for teacher-submitted contributions, designed to be used in conjunction with the simulations.
These are the links to the core science courses simulations. The PhET website also contains excellent Math simulations.
Simulation Resources
- Biology Online Labs
Comprehensive list to virtual labs and simulations - Anatomy Online Labs
- Comprehensive list to virtual labs and simulations
- Chemistry Online Labs
Comprehensive list to virtual labs and simulations
- Geology Online Labs
Comprehensive list to virtual labs and simulations
- Physics Simulations
My website contains links to hundreds of simulations.
On 02/28/2011,
in education, educational games / serious games, future, K-12 related, learning, personalized/customized learning, simulations, social learning / networks, staying relevant,
by Daniel Christian
Models for the Future of Learning — from KnowledgeWorks by Katherine Prince, Jesse Moyer, Lisa Scheerer, and Jamie Feltner
January 2011
This report was prepared for, and with the support of, Yellow Springs School District as part of a series of engagements related to its Class of 2020 initiative.
On 02/07/2011,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, assessment, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, learning agents, online learning, online tutoring, open courseware and systems, personalized/customized learning, research, simulations,
by Daniel Christian
IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies TLT is a scholarly archival journal published quarterly using a delayed open access publication model.
The Web revolution, the popularity of on-line learning, and the broad availability of computers in schools, colleges, universities, workplaces and in other social settings has caused a qualitative change in the field of learning technologies. Both the variety and the complexity of e-learning tools have increased dramatically over the last 10 years. A number of new conferences emerged to provide a forum for researchers and practitioners in the field of learning technologies to discuss their work. Yet, there are very few journals, which embrace the field as a whole and provide a space to publish archival quality papers. The goal of IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies (TLT) is to bridge this gap.TLT covers all advances in learning technologies, including but not limited to the following topics:
- Innovative online learning systems
- Intelligent tutors
- Educational software applications and games
- Simulation systems for education and training
- Collaborative learning tools
- Devices and interfaces for learning
- Interactive techniques for learning
- Personalized and adaptive learning systems
- Tools for formative and summative assessment
- Ontologies for learning systems
- Standards and web services that support learning
- Authoring tools for learning materials
- Computer support for peer tutoring
- Learning via discovery, field, and lab work
- Learning with mobile devices
- Social learning techniques
- Social networks and infrastructures for learning and knowledge sharing
- Creation and management of learning objects
IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies
The IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies will publish archival research papers and critical survey papers. Topics within the scope include technology advances in online learning systems; intelligent tutors; educational software applications and games; simulation systems for education and training; collaborative learning tools, devices and interfaces for learning; interactive techniques for learning; tools for formative and summative assessment; ontologies for learning systems; standards and web services that support learning; authoring tools for learning materials; computer support for peer tutoring and learning via discovery or project work or field or lab work; and creation and management of learning objects. A paper must either describe original research or offer a critical review of the state of the art in a particular area. Papers concerned with evaluation of technology are only appropriate if the technology itself is novel or if significant technical insights are provided. In order to best serve the community, the TLT will be published online, using a delayed open-access policy under which paying subscribers and per-article purchasers have access to newly published content, and then 12 months after the publication of each issue, all readers will have access to the content, free of charge.
On 01/29/2011,
in accreditation, change, changing business models, colleges, community colleges, corporate / business world, disruption, education technology, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, mobile learning, organizational change, simulations, universities, using teams,
by Daniel Christian
Example slides/excerpts:
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One example — of several great slides — regarding the old vs. the new paradigm:
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From DSC:
Re: one of the bullet points on the last slide — i.e. “Faculty work as part of instructional team” — here’s my take on what that team increasingly needs to look like in order to engage our students and to compete:
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On 01/27/2011,
in computer science, future, simulations, trends, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
7 Ways to Spot Tomorrow’s Trends Today — from the World Future Society’s Forecasts for the Next 25 Years
In the more than 40 years since the World Future Society was founded, futurists have developed a range of techniques to study the future. Here are a few techniques futurist use to spot new opportunities and potential problems. These methods give individuals and organizations an edge to help them succeed in a fast-changing world:
- Scan the Media to Identify Trends—Futurists often conduct an ongoing and systematic surveys of news media and research institutes. These surveys help spot significant trends and technology breakthroughs. Futurists call this environmental scanning.
- Analyze and Extrapolate Trends—After the trends are identified, the next step is to plot the trends to show their direction and development into the future. Trend analysis and extrapolation can show the nature, causes, speed, and potential impacts of trends.
- Develop Scenarios—Futurists often describe the future development of a trend, a strategy, or a wild-card event in story form. These scenarios can paint a vivid picture that can help you visualize possible future developments and show how you can prepare effectively for future risks and opportunities. Scenarios help you to blend what you know about the future with imagination about the uncertain. Scenarios help you move from dreaming to planning and then to accomplishment.
- Ask Groups of Experts—Futurists also conduct “Delphi Polls” which are carefully structured surveys of experts. Polling a wide range of experts in a given field can yield accurate forecasts and suggestions for action.
- Use Computer Modeling—Futurists often use computer models to simulate the behavior of a complex system under a variety of conditions. For example, a model of the U.S. economy might show the effects of a 10 percent increase in taxes.
- Explore Possibilities with Simulations—Futurists create simulations of a real-world situations by means of humans playing different roles. For example, in war games, generals test out tactics they may later use on the battlefield, or corporate executives can explore the possible results of competitive strategies.
- Create the Vision—Futurists help organizations and individuals systematically develop visions of a desirable future. Visioning creates the big picture of the possibilities and prepares the way for goal setting and planning.
On 01/20/2011,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, animation, blended learning, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, convergence, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, cost of getting a degree, creativity, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, e-books, e-readers, education, education reform, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, flipping -- inverted learning, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, hybrid learning, immersion, informal learning, innovation, interactivity, internet, K-12 related, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, learning preferences, learning spaces, lifelong learning, love of learning, marketplaces, media/film, mobile learning, mobile technologies, multimedia, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, play, podcasting, simulations, social learning / networks, social media, strategy, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, technology (general), telepresence, television, training / L&D, transmedia, trends, ubiquitous learning, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, vision/possibilities, visualizing information, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
The other day, I created/posted the top graphic below. Take the concepts below — hook them up to engines that use cloud-based learner profiles — and you have some serious potential for powerful, global, ubiquitous learning! A touch-sensitive panel might be interesting here as well.
Come to think of it, add social networking, videoconferencing, and web-based collaboration tools — the power to learn would be quite impressive. Multimedia to the nth degree.
Then add to that online marketplaces for teaching and learning — where you can be both a teacher and a learner at the same time — hmmm…
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From DSC:
Then today, I saw Cisco’s piece on their Videoscape product line! Check it out!
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On 01/17/2011,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, Apple, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, e-books, e-readers, education, education reform, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, entrepreneurship, flipping -- inverted learning, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), informal learning, innovation, interaction design, interactivity, interface design, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, learner profiles, learning, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, lifelong learning, media/film, mobile learning, mobile technologies, multimedia, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, play, simulations, social learning / networks, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, technology (general), telepresence, training / L&D, transmedia, ubiquitous learning, user experience (UX), user interface design, videoconferencing, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, web-based collaboration, webinars,
by Daniel Christian
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Addendum on 1-20-11:
The future of the TV is online — from telegraph.co.uk
Your television’s going to get connected, says Matt Warman