Red Queens and Increasing Returns

Red Queens and Increasing Returns

I decided to view the 1990 original version of the Total Recall movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. I was able to find the movie without using Netflix. I actually found the movie on Video Bash (www.videobash.com) I pulled it up on my computer and was able to view it for free.

The current competition between DVD’s and video-on-demand is an example or Red Queen. According to Thornburg(2009), Red Queen is when two competing technologies share the same market. DVD’s still have an audience but the video-on-demand market has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time.

DVD’s rekindle the VHS but they will soon become obsolete in the near future like the need for CD’s are becoming at a fast pace. With the advancements of tablets and laptops, DVD’s will definitely have a hard time remaining relevant in the next wave of modern technology.

Reference: 

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Emerging and future technology: Increasing returns. Baltimore, MD: Author.

The Disruptive Power of Second Life

Second Life is defined as a 3D world where everyone you see is a real person and every place you visit is built by people just like you. (secondlife.com). I find myself often alarmed by Second Life as it relates to both social and educational settings. As a technology, second life can be very addictive to children and young adults who chose to participate in the 3D world which can also be very disruptive.

There are some very distinctive cons that Second life can pose to students in the classroom. One of the most important is that because of the “game like” appearance of Second Life some students may not take the work/lesson seriously. Dr. Thornburg states that a disruptive technology is a new technology with the same functionality but more efficiency and obsoletes than the existing technology.

Currently, I don’t believe Second Life has displaced any current technologies but I don’t think we are far off from its displacement of some social media outlets as well as computer gaming. I don’t see another disruptive technology taking the place of Second Life in the near future. I think it will take at least 10 years before another emerging technology attempts to replace it.

There are many social benefits to Second Life for some people. It would be beneficial for people that a limited physically or that cannot get around. Also, for those that are antisocial or do not mix well with crowds in person can fare much better in a 3D environment. In the hospital setting, Second Life may be beneficial in the hospital setting because of the simulation aspect of it. Being able to practice in a virtual world may be beneficial to both physicians and nurses before going into a major surgery.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Emerging and future technology: Disruptive technologies. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Rhymes of History Technology

Thornburg states Rhymes of History is ‘New Technology is a fresh emergence of the impact left many years before from another technology” (Laureate Education, 2009).  I have noticed more recently that there are a number of gadgets today that have been built on the shoulders of more retro forms of the technology.

I chose today’s modern smart device as the perfect technology that continues to rekindle and retrieve from the past. There was a point in the past when you had to rely on a VHS recorder to record all of your video needs. While also utilizing a Polaroid camera to take all of your pictures. If you fast forward to today, this would seems like the longest process to get those things accomplished.  Currently most if not all smart devices give the option to record video and take pictures in the blink of an eye. The smart device rekindles most of the older communication methods as well. With email capabilities, people don’t have to rely on the post office to send letters. In most cases, you can shoot an email and get the message across in a much fast way.

At this point in technology, it’s hard to recollect where we can go from here as it seems we are at the peak technology advancement but I am more than sure in the next 20 years we will look at our current methods and wonder how we ever lived with this technology.

Reference:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009).  Emerging and future technologies: Rhymes of History.  

Blogs i've posted to: http://robinsjourneyintoeductionaltechnology.blogspot.com/
http://dspringsteen.blogspot.com/

Emerging Technologies Tetrad

Emerging Technologies Tetrad

From year to year, there are constant changes that take place that almost always have something to do with technology. As I thought about a progressive technology, the first that came to my mind was the iPhone. Since its inception in 2007, the iPhone has completely revolutionized how consumers communicate on a number of different levels.

We have been focusing on Terad’s in my Emerging Technology class and they serve as a perfect example to describe the continuous progression of the iPhone.  Thornburg (2008) describes a tetrad as a lens to look at the life cycle of technology, according to McLuhan. Below are the tetrads for both the iPhone and the iPhone 6 from a comparison view.

Tetrad 1 – The original iPhone

Enhances The iPhone was marketed as a widescreen iPad. It was the first phone to sync all contacts from your PC or Mac	Obsoletes The palm pilot made obsolete desktop computers.
Retrieves The iPhone revolutionized that way people communicated back in 2007.	Reverse The iPhone was eventually replaced by 5 more advanced and updated models.

Tetrad 2 – the iPhone 6 Plus

Enhances The ability to communicate with a bigger and better display. Also enhances the power of the internal software of the device.	Obsoletes Totally makes all other iPhone models obsolete.
Retrieves The iPhone 6 rekindles the original iPhone look but is much bigger and advanced.	Reverse The iPhone 6 will totally enhance the scope of how people can communicate. It will also continue to be a leader in innovation.

Reference:

Thornburg, D. D. (2008b). Emerging technologies and McLuhan's Laws of Media. Lake

            Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Emerging Technology

Thornburg states “The constantly changing landscape of educational technology can be thought of as a series of transitions from older tools to newer ones (Thornburg, 2009). Within the hospital system there is constant change happening on a day to day basis. One of the more recent technologies that have emerged in recent years is the element virtual care and the implementation of the electronic health record (EHR). The diffusion of these this fairly new technology has changed the dynamic of healthcare and further tests the boundaries of how a patient can be cared for by their healthcare provider.  In 2009, only 16% of U.S. hospitals were using electronic health records but by 2013 that number increased to around 80%. It’s really serves as an outlook to where the world is headed as we become more heavily dependent on technology.

Some of the key issues that have been found among both physicians and patients are the overall usability of the software where the data is inputted. The physicians tend to need extensive training to utilize the electronic version of the health record.  Generating duplicate notes within the systems were also issues that physicians faced initially when the new system became available. Hospital cost increased also with the implementation of electronic health records.

There are many benefits to using the electronic medical record as opposed to the paper version.  “Clinical outcomes include improvements in the quality of care, a reduction in medical cost, and other improvement in patient level measures that describe the appropriateness of care.” Over time this form of medical record tracking will become more popular with hospital staff.

By offering continuous education to physicians, there would be must less hesitation among staff to input patient’s records with no error.

Resources:

Thornburg, D. D. (2009a). Current trends in educational technology. Lake 
Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Menachemi, N., & Collum, T. (2011, May 11). Benefits and drawbacks of electronic health record systems. Retrieved September 12, 2014.

Blogs i've posted to: http://robinsjourneyintoeductionaltechnology.blogspot.com/
http://randompinkrain.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/are-badges-needed/

Module 6 Video References

References:

1. .    Benders, D. (2011, December 5). Barriers to Learning for Adult Learners. by David S. Benders. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1362037
   2.    Deggs, D.(2011, November)  Contextualizing the Perceived Barriers of Adult Learners in an Accelerated Undergraduate Degree Program . . Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ956230.pdf
   3.       Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation (2010, October 8) Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation (Video) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AzqzTk7IEM
   4.    Motivation. (n.d.). SparkNotes. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.sparknotes.com/psychology/psych101/motivation/section1.rhtml
   5.       Rochester Institute of Technology. (n.d.) Characteristics of adult learners. Retrieved on May 4, 2014 from http://wallacecenter.rit.edu/tls/characteristics-adult-learners
   6.       Sarar, F. (2012, January 1). Motivation and Online Adult Learners: How do we do that?.Academia.edu. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.academia.edu/2503317/Motivation_and_Online_Adult_Learners_How_do_we_do_that#

Module 6: Peer Review Presentation

Hello everyone,

Here is my video "Motivating Adult Learners" ! I am excited to show the finished product. Please let me know what you think.

Module 5 Moving Toward Dynamic Technologies

Over the last 7 years or so I have worked within the online education sector so I am pretty familiar with the tools displayed on both the Static and Dynamic side of my above concept map. I do not teach directly in the classroom but I would still like to use most of these skills in my day to day even if it's only for the current classes I am taking. My Principles of Distance Education class has given me the tools and knowledge to grow and gravitate toward being more dynamic. This course has given me the creative vision necessary to pursue my own instructional design/educational technology practice. I find that the tools described above would be perfect to implement into this practice.

I posted to the following blogs as well:

http://educationtechie1.blogspot.com/2014/05/i-have-found-after-taking-this-course.html
http://suzannereaidsscholarsblog.blogspot.com/

Module 4: Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

As I continue to advance my education, I am learning more and more about how to use the most updated and appropriate technological tools to complete my course work. The graphic organizer above showcases the collaboration, content and communication tools that I use and have gained great amount knowledge both inside and outside of the classroom.  Outside of the classroom I use Google + , LinkedIn and Skype for a lot of my communication and collaboration projects. These tools can also work very well within the online learning environment because they each have a specific purpose and role that they play in bringing students together from all over the world.

In LinkedIn, students can network together with their classroom peers as well with others within the same field of study. Google + has the ability to better prioritize your social and professional lives into circles so that there is no overlap between the two unless it is requested. Skype allows for students to actually participate in group meetings from a distance while also viewing everyone in the room and vice versa. This tool almost makes you feel as though you are all in the same environment even though you are miles away.  All of the tools above are placed specifically not to just keep learners engaged but also keep the learning environment a fun place as well.

I have commented on the following blogs as well:
http://jeanniefrazierblog.wordpress.com
http://distanceedandlearning.blogspot.com/

Module 3(2) Assessing Collaborative Efforts

Module 3(2) Assessing Collaborative Efforts

Collaborative learning has always had a strong presence within traditional brick and mortar institutions. This type of learning is now being utilized in the online distance education as well. Siemens (2008) states that “participative pedagogy is the collaboration and teamwork in curricular activities”. I tend to feel the best way to assess the participation of the learning community is by requiring peer reviews be completed by group members. They would then submit them to the instructor for final review and grading based partially on their peers responses.

In the Distance education and online learning environments there could be times when a member of a learning community does not want to participate in a group project. I can say this because there have been times when I would have preferred to complete a project on my own instead of working with a group. I believe that a lot of students tend to feel the same way because they simply don’t want their overall score to be dependent on their peers and vice versa. The instructor should rely heavily on the learning community and their peers because they will more than likely use this information to assist with scoring of an individual or overall group project.

Resource

Principles of distance education: Assessment of collaborative learning. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Blogs I responded to: http://distanceedandlearning.blogspot.com/ and http://suzannereaidsscholarsblog.blogspot.com/

Module 3(1)Principles of Distance Education Storyboard for Motivating Adult Learners

Narrative	Visual
Introduction of topic title “Motivating Adult Learners”	Video of Adult Learners actively engaged in a classroom environment.
Specify differences between Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivations	Picture description of both Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations
Describe the different types of adult learners	Pictures and brief description of Young adult, professional, blue collar adult learners.
Introduce possible barriers of Adult Learners	Present examples of  these barriers
Provide possible solutions to barriers	Show some examples of solutions to barriers
Putting it all together!	Brief summary
Introduction of Keynote Speaker “Mrs. Katina Davis (Greater Homewood Board member & 2013 Teacher of the year recipient	Brief video of Mrs. Davis interacting with her students in the classroom at Greater Homewood Community Corporation.

Module 2: Elements of Distance Education Diffusion

Elements of Distance Education Diffusion

George Siemens discussed the growing acceptance of distance education in today’s corporate and educational spheres, including three possible elements of distance education that are creating more effective learning experiences and giving distance education an identity of its own distinct from F2F courses: (a) global diversity, (b) communication, and (c) collaborative interaction. Do you agree or disagree with his view?

I am in total agreement with Siemens analysis above. Global Diversity, Collaborative Interaction and Communication are major keys to unlock the world of distance education. Without these three components, distance learning could not possibly succeed in today's high technology driven world. 

Out of the three elements above I feel that the Collaborative Interaction has evolved by leaps and bounds as it relates to distance education. With the creation of companies like LinkedIn and online universities across the globe, collaboration is a must have to keep peers and students actively engaged in the content of the subject matter. Wiki's and educational blogs allow people from all circles of life to not just view your thoughts and views but also creates and avenue for constructive criticism and the sharing of different perspectives. 

Some great tools that available today to facilitate Collaborative Interactions are Facebook, LinkedIn, Skype, Google+ and Prezi to name a few. I utilize these tools actively for both communication and collaboration purposes. I find that these tools make distance learning very simple, yet also provide a high level of collaboration with my peers across the globe. I plan to use these and many of the newer technologies on a regular basis to become more familiar with them.

Module 1: The Next Generation of Distance Education

In my Principles of Distance Education course we have the opportunity to blog and reflect on our experiences within the class and the topic of the current module every two weeks. This week’s topic is the Next Generation of Distance Learning. My objective for this week is to compare and contrast the reasons the authors believe there is a need to evolve distance education to the next generation.

I read a three-part article by Coleman, Foshay, Huett, and Moller entitled "The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web". I found these articles particularly interesting because I am an Instructional Designer and am always attempting to acquire as much knowledge as possible.

In part one of the article, the primary focus is Training and Development. The authors put a lot of emphasis on the importance of having a highly skilled instructional designer to design quality education in the e-learning environment. The authors state that “the challenge for ID professionals is not only to evolve the field, but also to assure that the products of sound professional design practice lead the e-learning enterprise". (Moller et al., 2008).

In part two of the article, higher education is the focal point. The authors discuss how education has evolved and the overall need for distance education has become greater by the year. The authors state "Distance learning is rapidly becoming a popular choice for continuing professional education, mid-career degree programs, and lifelong learning of all kinds". (Moller et al., 2008). This article further showcases the importance of the instructional designer but also discusses how often ID's tend to violate the basics principles that we have been taught.

Part three of the article focuses on the k-12 environment within distance education. The instructional designer’s role is highly discussed in this capacity as well.

As an instructional designer, I can relate to all of the statements within the article. I have been given the opportunity to design effective instruction in the past and have seen process first hand. It’s unfortunate to see a botched up level of design with poor quality. In the end the learner suffers because of it.  There is a high need to evolve distance education for the next generation and based on the authors review, the highly skilled instructional designer is the perfect person to do the job. I guess the question remains though....Will more qualified and educated designers continue to enter the field to meet the ever-growing demand ?

Resources:

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Coleman, C. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 52(5), 63-67. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0199-9

Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 52(4), 66-70. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0179-0

Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 52(3), 70-75. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0158-5