Looking to the Future Application of Current and Emerging Technologies in the Classroom Dr. Steve Broskoske Misericordia University

Outline Future technologies: – Lecture capture. – Next generation presentation tools. – Experiencing virtual worlds: Second Life, Handiland, and other worlds. Recap: Evaluating current and emerging technologies. Class presentations: Synthesizing technology into the real world of the classroom.

Lecture Capture

Lecture capture: Any technology that allows instructors to record what happens in their classrooms and make it available digitally. – Describes a wide array of software, system capabilities, and hardware options. – From a simple audio recording made to play back on an iPod, to a class lecture recorded with capture software and dedicated hardware.

Lecture Capture Lecture capture is not intended as a replacement for in-class instruction because there is no interaction. Benefits: – An alternative when students miss class. – An opportunity for content review to students who attended class. – Provide content for online course development. Educause, 2008

Lecture Capture Examples Panopto Examples Panopto Home Page

Next Generation Presentation Tools

An alternative to PowerPoint, these next generation presentation tools allow: – Online storage and sharing of presentations. – Collaboration. – Alternative ways to present material.

Tools Prezi SlideShare Zoho Show

Virtual Worlds

Virtual world: Online community that often takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment, through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects. Many are designed to be a 3-D virtual environment where users inhabit and interact. Users take the form of avatars. The user experiences the virtual world through the avatar.

Second Life: The Basics Launched in 2003, Second Life is the largest online virtual world. Tens of millions of square meters of virtual lands, more than 13 million registered users (“residents”), and a thriving economy. Residents exist through personal avatars. Spend time in any of a vast number of locations (or “islands”) that have been created for many purposes: – Education, socializing, entertainment, and commerce.

Who Uses Second Life? Artists have set up galleries. Musicians have held concerts. Authors have read their work in-world. Churches have set up virtual congregations that hold worship services. Counseling services allow users to visit with real therapists—through avatars.

Second Life Resources Second Life Education Wiki Second Life.com

Who Uses Second Life? Diplomacy Island: Governments of several real nations (including the Maldives, Sweden, and Estonia) have opened virtual embassies. Users can speak to representatives of those nations about their history and culture or about visas and other requirements to travel to those countries. Entrepreneurs: Many businesses, companies, and corporations have a presence in Second Life. Nonprofits: Have islands where they share resources and host activities for users.

Who Uses Second Life? Large numbers of colleges/universities (individual departments or faculty in some cases) have established a presence in Second Life. – Teaching/learning activities. – Campus visits. – Recruiting activities for prospective students. – Fund-raising. – Distance courses. Many faculty report that the sense of presence and interaction among a class of remote students is more compelling than through other modes of communication.

Second Life: The Basics Basic accounts cost nothing but have some restrictions, such as for owning land. Avatars can teleport to any location, and can navigate by walking or flying around the space. Users can communicate with others through chat, text media, or can speak to each other (using VoIP). Avatars can perform many actions that their real- life counterparts can do, such as waving, sitting down, or dancing. Avatars can also fly.

Second Life: The Basics Real-life virtual economy. – Based on the in-world currency of Linden dollars and lets people exchange real money for virtual assets. – Buy land. – Sell land. – Rent space to others.

Virtual World Uses in Higher Education Virtual worlds can be… – Used as classroom replacements. – Used as classroom enhancements. – Used as recruiting tools. – Used as self-directing learning tools. Classroom Pictures (VizWorld Article)

Looking to the Future Second Life may change interaction and communication in the future. – Instead of phoning a company or visiting its Web page, a user may virtually visit the company in Second Life. The potential of this technology depends on how effectively it can function as a surrogate for the real world, and provide a legitimate and valuable educational experience.

Looking to the Future Second Life is moving quickly into higher education. Second Life is slowly moving into upper secondary education. While this tool may not make its way into elementary education, a school-run, contained, similar environment may in the future. (Analogy: DOS replaced by Windows.)

Teen Second Life Had set up Teen Second Life, but closed it in Talking about merging teen grid with adult grid. Holding for now.

Virtual Worlds for K-12 Handipoints: A multiplayer online role-playing virtual world. Launched in Children check off their chores on their virtual chore chart, then they earn Handipoints and Bonus Points. – Handipoints: Used to buy Savings Goals from parents—physical items in the real world. – Bonus points: Used to purchase virtual items in HandiLand (the virtual world).

Virtual Worlds for K-12 HandiLand uses cartoon cats as avatars. Users walk around, chat, play games, dress up their cat avatar characters, and decorate their cat avatar character’s houses. Designed for children 4 through 12 years old. Handipoints.com

Exploring Virtual Worlds for K-12 Let’s explore some virtual worlds for K-12 students. List of Virtual Worlds

Recap: Evaluating Current and Emerging Technologies

Recap: Emerging Technology Class 1: Read/Write Web Revolution: Technology and Changes in the Classroom – Paradigm change: Web 2.0 technologies and students as contributors to the educational endeavor. – Trends and new literacies. – Constructivism. – Connectivism. – Folksonomy.

Recap: Emerging Technology Class 2: Using Web 2.0 Tools in Learning – Wiki: Collaborative web pages. – Blog: First and very versatile Web 2.0 tool. – RSS and Google Reader: Revolutionizing the way you learn.

Recap: Emerging Technology Class 3: Assimilating Social Learning into Your Classroom – Social networking. – Social bookmarking: We all help organize the Web. – Twitter: Staying connected with your network. – Digg. – Flickr: Sharing graphics. – Social networking for young children.

Recap: Emerging Technology Class 4: Student and Teacher Use of Multimedia in Learning – Podcasting. – Digital storytelling. PhotoStory – Using Productivity software (Excel and Word) to support Constructivist learning.

Recap: Emerging Technology Class 5: Using the SmartBoard and Promethean Board in the Classroom – SMART Board. – Using Advanced PowerPoint Tools with SMART Board. – Promethean Board. ActivInspire

Recap: Emerging Technology Class 6: Hardware and Software Tools to Support Student Learning – Backchannel communication. – e-Book reader. – Smart pens. – M-Learning and smart phone applications. – Software tools to support student learning. – Virtual tools for learning.

Recap: Emerging Technology Class 7: Looking to the Future and Wrap-up – Future technologies: Lecture capture. Next generation presentation tools. Experiencing virtual worlds: Second Life & Handiland. – Recap: Evaluating current and emerging technologies. – Class presentations: Synthesizing technology into the real world of the classroom.

Recap: On-going Technology Personal blog through BlackBoard. – Experience with the new technologies. – What technologies you may incorporate into your classroom. – How your teaching will need to change (new methods, strategies, and pedagogy) in order to use the new technologies in your classroom. Course Wiki. – Through collaboration, we added information on new technology throughout the course.

Recap: Remote Activities Google Docs vs. Word collaboration. Exploring copyright and fair use [Blackboard]. Exploring online safety [Wimba]. – Also discussed the Elluminate environment. Asynchronous online discussions in My Courses.

New Literacies Evaluating and editing content. Use of publishing outlets. Management of information. Collaboration skills.

New Teacher Deliverer of Content Facilitator Partner, as students generate content & construct their own knowledge (Beldarrain, 2006)

Collaboration Foundation for the technology revolution is… – Collaborating. – Establishing and maintaining connections. – Users adding value. Users interpret material and organize it (folksonomy). – Learners construct knowledge. – Memorizing facts is of low value; locating and evaluating information is of high value. Collaboration, evaluation, and connectivism.

Final Assignment Remote activity: Let's wrap up the course by reflecting on how what we examined in the course can be converted into a priority list: – What technologies should I research and experiment with more? – Which technologies should I implement into my classroom? – What changes in approach and methodology should I examine?

Student Presentations