Emerging Technologies
1. Augmented Reality
Lee, K. (2012). Augmented
Reality in Education and Training. TechTrends, 56(2), 13-21.
In the article “Augmented
Reality in Education and Training,” Kangdon Lee defines Augmented Reality (AR)
as “a technology that allows computer-generated virtual imagery information to
be overlaid onto a live direct or indirect real-world environment in real time”
(p. 13). Many people confuse AR with Virtual Reality (VR), but the two are
different. In VR the user experiences computer simulated environments, whereas
in AR the environment is real. In other words, educators can project a picture
for the students to view, and then they can make changes to it or add to it to help portray the information they are teaching.
The pictures above are
examples of AR in use. The first one could be used in an Economics or Business
lesson; the second one would be useful for a Geography lesson and the last one
for a Biology lesson for example.
According to Lee (2012),
this type of interactive education can be useful in teaching Occupational
Health and Safety, among other subjects. An instructor could use this
technology in the classroom to demonstrate safety inspections. Students can be
given an example of a building and asked to conduct a safety inspection in AR.
The instructor can include safety hazards or change details as the students are
conducting the inspection. It is similar to a case study but it is live and in
real-time. Moreover, he points to the fact that using AR in actual safety
inspections in industry would allow for more efficient and advanced inspections than the
traditional methods which involve paper checklists.
There are also AR
textbooks; a picture example is below. Students would purchase textbooks or
eBooks as per normal and the AR software can bring the information in the book
to life in front of them. This would be beneficial for describing places,
systems, functions, etc.
There are many advantages
to using AR in an educational setting. Lee (2012) stresses the fact that AR will
be a motivator for students. He also highlights that it will aid in enhancing
their hands on skills. Not only are they reading and learning about the
theories, they are also getting a chance to try out their new knowledge first
hand. Students will leave the classroom having been able to apply what they
have learnt. It is a whole new way of allowing students to explore and
experiment. In addition, this generation of young people has grown up with
technology. This style of teaching tool will fit in nicely with today’s youth.
There are also many
challenges with this technology. First of all is cost. AR is a fairly new
technique and will require a lot of research, development and maintenance, which may prove to be costly. In
addition, there is the actual cost of purchasing the technology to use in each
educational institution which will be an added expense. Second, instructors will have to be trained in using
the technology. This will cost more money and take time. Furthermore, some
instructors may not feel comfortable using the technology. Lee (2012) also
points to the issue of integrating AR with traditional methods of
instruction and how educational practitioners can ensure they are using the right methods.
2. Mobile Apps
Cheong, C., Bruno, V.,
& Cheong, F. (2012). Designing a Mobile-app-based Collaborative Learning
System. Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in
Practice, 11, 98-119.
If you take the time to
look around you, you are more than likely going to see at least one person
holding a mobile smartphone. On each of those smartphones one can assume that the owner has
installed many Apps. A mobile app is basically a software application or program
that has been developed to run on mobiles. There are apps for almost anything
you could ever want and/or need – cooking, shopping, arts and crafts, reading and the list
goes on.
Cheong et.al (2012) in
their article titled “Designing a Mobile-app-based Collaborative Learning
System” state that “with recent advances in the capabilities of smart mobile
devices and their growing penetration rate among the student cohort, it is
possible to take advantage of these devices to design a system to promote
high-order thinking skills in the lecture environment” (p. 97). Teaching in
Qatar, every student has at least two mobile phones with them at all times.
Employing learning based apps in the classroom would be an extremely beneficial
tool for engaging the students. There are many mobile apps that can be used in
the classroom but there are two that seem to be growing. They are Socrative and
Plickers. You can see their logo and websites below.
Directly from their
website, “Socrative lets
teachers engage and assess their students with educational activities on
tablets, laptops and smartphones. Through the use of real time questioning,
instant result aggregation and visualization, teachers can gauge the whole
class’ current level of understanding. Socrative saves teachers time so the
class can further collaborate, discuss, extend and grow as a community of
learners.” This app allows instructors to create assessments and receive
instant student results, along with reports about student levels and class
averages. The instructor can easily identify which students are not engaged or
are not grasping the material. It also provides the students with the ability
to receive feedback instantly and helps to mix up the learning environment.
Plickers is similar to
Socrative but the main difference is that the students do not need to have
their own mobile device. Directly from their website it says “Plickers is a
powerfully simple tool that lets teachers collect real-time formative
assessment data without the need for student devices.” Students are given cards to record their answers; when the students hold up their cards the
teacher’s mobile device will scan the entire room and provide feedback on the students answers.
These are only two
examples but there are many more educational apps available. If you are
interested in learning more about these aps and how to use them in your
classroom you can visit the company websites.
There are many advantages
of using mobile apps in a classroom. First and foremost, it should be generally
easy to introduce. Nowadays most students know how to use smartphones so
students may not need intensive training. Second, there are many apps available
to download (both free and at a cost). Furthermore, there are many new apps
being developed all the time, so there is always room for upgrades and new app
ideas. Using apps in a classroom will also provide a new way to engage students
in the learning. It is a break from traditional lectures, note taking and
discussions. It will allow students a little more diversity in their learning
environments.
There are also a few
challenges that need to be considered. First, is the cost associated with using
mobile apps. If the app that an instructor chooses requires every student to
have a mobile smartphone, who will be expected to purchase the mobile phones?
It will cost a lot of money to purchase a smartphone for every student and can students
be expected to have their own smartphone. Also related to cost is the price of
the App. Some apps are free but if you choose to use one that has to be
purchased, again, who should have to pay for it? A second concern would be
training for instructors. Instructors would have to be trained in how to use smartphones
and how to use apps. Third, who will decide what apps are to be used in the
classroom? Will that be the instructor’s responsibility or the responsibility
of management or educational boards? Which also raises the question of will all
teachers have to use the same apps? Lastly, allowing students to use their
mobile phones during class may actually prove to be a hindrance. Will the
students be distracted and thus have a negative affect on their learning? All of
these issues would need to be considered before completely integrating apps
into classrooms on a regular basis.
3. Skype
Morgan, H. (2013). Using
Skype for Exciting Projects. Childhood Education, 89(3), 197-199.
“Skype is a user-friendly voice over internet protocol (VoIP)
software that allows users to make video and voice calls using the Internet”
(Morgan, 2013, p. 197). Skype is an easy way to call and video chat with people
all over the world using the Internet. For further information on Skype you can
go to their website http://www.skype.com
Skype has many noteworthy benefits for instructors. First of all,
it allows students to connect with professionals who are working in industry.
If you are teaching a course on Recruitment and Selection, the instructor can
arrange to have a Recruiter as a guest speaker via Skype, no matter where they
are located geographically. This way it can be much easier to agree on a time that is
beneficial for both parties involved. The guest speaker can live
anywhere as long as they have Internet access and a computer. Morgan (2013)
says, “The number of instructors who are using Skype to connect with experts is
skyrocketing” (p. 198). Second, it allows students to connect with other
students. College of the North Atlantic has a total of 18 campuses and there
are students taking the same courses across those campuses. Skype could
provide the opportunity for those students to interact with each other.
Finally, Skype could provide the opportunity for students to participate in
virtual field trips. This would allow students to view real-world industry
locations without having to leave their classroom. The students will also be
able to interact with the industry expert simultaneously through these virtual field trips.
There are numerous advantages of using Skype in the classroom, in
addition to those mentioned above. Skype is easy to use and there is not much
equipment needed. All the instructor would need is access to the Internet, a
computer with a microphone and a webcam (if video is desired). Thus, the costs
of using this technology would not be too high as most schools already have access to
these materials. In addition, Skype is free. Instructors will not
have to pay to set up a Skype account, as long as the person you are contacting
has Skype as well. Finally, giving the students an opportunity to experience
Skype and video conferencing will be very beneficial for their future careers,
especially in the field of Business. Today many meetings and discussions take
place online via Skype or other videoconferencing software. Using Skype in educational settings will ensure that students are aware of these types of
technologies prior to entering the industry.
With all technologies and new ideas come challenges as well.
First, users may experience technical difficulties. This can pose a problem
when working with any type of technology but the potential of experiencing
problems is heightened when relying on Internet connectivity, especially in
rural areas. Related to this challenge, when using Skype and videoconference tools
there is always a chance of interrupted sound and picture. Morgan (2013)
highlights another challenge. She states, “When students first use Skype, they
also may pay more attention to viewing their own image rather than focusing on
the guest” (p. 197). When using Skype, you can view a picture of yourself in the corner of your screen (this is what the other party can view). Therefore, the
instructor needs to ensure students are actually paying attention to the guest
speaker and not distracted by the pictures of themselves.
