A hugely powerful vision: A potent addition to our learning ecosystems of the future

 

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

See also:

Addendum on 4-14-11:

 

Tagged with:  

 

Originally saw this at:
BizDeansTalk.net

 

From DSC:
I appreciated the variety of clever interface elements at play here. Worth checking out just from an interface design standpoint, if not from a standpoint of relaying/processing information in a creative way (as well as discerning the critical business-related items/decisions).

 

 

 

 

Concept future -  Universal Remote Controller 6

.

Concept future -  Universal Remote Controller 4

 

Student engagement on the go — from The Journal by Chris Riedel

Assistant Principal Patrick McGee explains that whatever the other advantages of adopting iPads and iPods in the classroom, the key is student engagement.

“This is my 3-year old daughter the day the iPad came out,” said Patrick McGee as he displayed a movie of a young girl sitting at a kitchen counter, gripping an iPad in both hands. The audience watched as the little girl found, launched, and began to use a Dr. Seuss app; all without intervention or explanation from an adult. “Kids know–intuitively–how these things work; even at 3,” he said. “We need to use that.”

 

The Connected Life at Home — from Cisco

The connected life at home -- from Cisco

.

.

From DSC:

How will these types of technologies affect what we can do with K-12 education/higher education/workplace training and development? I’d say they will open up a world of new applications and opportunities for those who are ready to innovate; and these types of technologies will move the “Forthcoming Walmart of Education” along.

Above item from:

Tagged with:  

Mobile content is twice as difficult [usability] — from Jakob Nielsen
Summary:

When reading from an iPhone-sized screen, comprehension scores for complex Web content were 48% of desktop monitor scores.

It’s more painful to use the Web on mobile phones than on desktop computers for many reasons:

  • Slower downloads
  • No physical keyboard for data entry
  • No mouse for selection; no mouse buttons to issue commands and access contextual menus (indeed fewer signaling states, as discussed further in our seminar on Applying HCI Principles to Real World Problems: a touchscreen only signals “finger-down/up,” whereas a mouse has hover state in addition to button press/release)
  • Small screen (often with tiny text)
  • Websites designed for desktop access instead of following the usability guidelines for mobile
  • App UIs that lack consistency

New research by R.I. Singh and colleagues from the University of Alberta provides one more reason: it’s much harder to understand complicated information when you’re reading through a peephole.

…rest of posting here.

From DSC:
With the above said, the mobile learning wave cannot — and most likely should not — be stopped. The types of devices we end up using may change, but mobile learning will move forward.

For one example of this, see:

Algebra, meet the iPad: A year-long study explores learning with the tablet — fromMind/Shift by Tina Barseghian

HMH Fuse

Excerpt:

Q. How will the iPad-taught class different from a traditional algebra class?

What we’ve seen in practice is the fact that it’s bringing everything to one place that’s making it exciting. The convenience factor, the simplicity factor — that’s revolutionary. For example, if you’re working through a lesson, there are three or four algorithms presented. With a textbook, if you want to learn more about one of the examples, you have to stop looking in your book and go online to our website and navigate that particular section and view our video there.

Instead, on the iPad, you simply click on “view video” and up comes our professor, Dr. Edward Burger, the Bill Nye of education. Students have written to him saying he’s changed their opinion of what math is. So to have him right there, you can see how it’s natural for students to tap “view video,” as opposed to setting their book down and going to the computer.

Another example is, when students are working on a problem, they can simply click on “check answer,” and up comes, “that’s correct, and here’s why,” or “that’s incorrect, and here’s why.” As opposed to when they’re working on paper or even online, those pieces are a little more drawn out.

To “appify” old media, we need a new approach — from gigaom.com

The publishing industry is keeping its formerly inky fingers crossed that mobile devices, including the seemingly ubiquitous iPad, will save its behind. With the mobile market still in its infancy, it’s a tad early to be calling definitive trends, but there is one interesting tendency underway that may endure long-term — and that is the “appification” of media content.

This “appification” is being driven by one question — what is it that the audience wants? And the answer resoundingly is this: don’t just replicate the brand, give us something different.

How will technologies like AirPlay affect education? I suggest 24x7x365 access on any device may be one way. By Daniel S. Christian at Learning Ecosystems blog-- 1-17-11.

.


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


The Wormwood Saga

http://chapter01.wormworldsaga.com/

.

Also see:

daniellieske.com


From DSC:
First of all, my thanks to Mr. Joseph Byerwalter for this resource/link. I haven’t read this story; however I was intrigued by the user interface design here and it made me think of some related items/topics here:

I would have loved to see some more multimedia integrated into Daniel Lieske’s fabulous artwork — sound effects/audio/music and/or the capability of hearing the author read the story. Also, perhaps some interactivity may or may not add something here. In any case, this is a piece of the type of thing that I believe we will see much more of on devices like the iPad — as well as on Internet-connected televisions:

Incredibly-powerful, interactive, multimedia-based
methods of relaying one’s story or message.

Also, such endeavors open up a slew of potential future opportunities for our students (artists, musicians, sound engineers, writers, programmers, interface designers, user experience experts, etc.) — as well as chances to practice their creativity today.


An e-Learning Tool Revolution — from Allen Interactions by Ethan Edwards, chief instructional strategist

Allen Interactions had a highly visible presence at the [DevLearn 2010] conference, announcing the official Private Beta Program for a new authoring system, currently under development and code-named Zebra.

The experience of using it has really illustrated for me in a fresh way why current authoring systems always fall so short. The challenge of designing instruction for computer delivery is how to craft an experience that engages the learner and creates unique opportunities for that learner to solve challenges.  Instructional interactivity is at the core of this design process.  Ideally, an authoring tool ought to put the designer at the center of manipulating interactivity.

What is so exciting to me about the possibilities that Zebra suggests is that for the first time in my recollection designers will be able to directly and easily manipulate those design elements that define instructional interactivity–Context, Challenge, Activity, and Feedback–in a seamless design environment.  Of course, we’re just beginning this journey and there is much unknown about the significance that Zebra might have, but for the first time in a long time, I feel optimistic about authoring potential, which has been rather stalled in its tracks for almost 15 years.  I can imagine this dramatically increasing the influence that instructional designers can have in the overall creating of outstanding e-learning applications.

30+ informative typography related blogs — from 1stwebdesigner.com

Typography is one of the crucial part of designing, specially web designing. Like the good ingredients can make food delicious; same in the case of typography, good typography can enhance the grace and beauty of your website.  You can bring creativity, simplicity and elegance to your design just by constructive use of type in it. If we say “You can’t design without Type” then it wouldn’t be inappropriate.

As a passionate typography lover, I’m always in search of great resources for fulfilling my needs of typography related news, articles, inspirations and new development in world of type. Today I thought to share some great blogs and websites, from my collection, related to typography to fulfill your “Type Need”. So pick the best blog of you interest from the list I have compiled below.

© 2024 | Daniel Christian