Horizon2007:Research Question One

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Research Question One

What would you list among the established technologies that learning-focused institutions should all be using broadly today to support or enhance teaching, learning, or creative expression?

• Audience response – starting to take hold [U Wisconsin educational tech staff]

• Lecture capture – being done, but a lot more room for use; room for growth for creating supplementary materials [U Wisconsin educational tech staff]-Needs to have quick or no set up in most cases - moveable gear (cameras and mics) may work but many instructors want to simply walk-in and teach. Also questions of acceptable quality arise- (JG=Joan Getman)

• Wikis – Need these for collaboration – which is something students want [U Wisconsin educational tech staff] I agree on the importance of wikis but in many universities and colleges the creation of a wiki is being left to the instructor and/or students and different and confusing formats appear. We need "Instructional Technology" services to help to make it very easy and standard to start a wiki (JPJ=Jean Paul)

• Collaboration Tools - blogs, wikis, bulletin boards, RSS feeds [U Wisconsin educational tech staff]

• Online communication tools – VoIP, IM, email, video conferencing [U Wisconsin educational tech staff]

• Shibboleth – single sign-on systems [U Wisconsin educational tech staff]

• Multimedia production tools - for students, end users to create and share [U Wisconsin educational tech staff]. Agree, but it seems to be harder than initially thought. In UC Berkeley's CS Division a room was set up (in Soda Hall) for this purpose but constant evolution of technology required frequent updates to the room. Students called this classroom the "UC Classroom", not for UC = Univ. Calif. but for UC = Under Construction. (JPJ=Jean Paul)

• Podcasting [U Wisconsin educational tech staff]

• Presentation tech – classroom and online – ppt, classroom av tech, ppt-to-web [U Wisconsin educational tech staff]

• Web 2.0 & Social software – blogs, wikis, web feeds, podcasting and social network sites have all been used effectively for formal and informal learning for a while now. They should by this point be considered as part of educators and learners toolkits, routinely considered in terms of facilitating learning and teaching practices. [Josie Fraser]

• Portable Apps Why even bother with comuting devices when an entire OS, web browser, desktop applications, data can be run from a thumb USB drive? See Portable Apps, List of Apps [AL]

• Flash Wins Video Format Move away from video streaming formats like QuickTime, Real, Windows Media that are not as ubiquitiously playable as Flash video -- the explosion of easy to upload, view, re-use video sites (YouTune, bip.tv, Google Video) point the future direction as Flash. And wait til it hits the phones Searching for Ideal Streaming Technology; see Oct 17 2006 issue of PCMagazine for Dvorak's Inside Track [AL]

• Online Organizational/Project Management/Planning tools like BaseCamp, Backpack; places to keep your stuff (where "stuff" is data, appointments, tasks, schedules...) organized and accessible. Services like Soonr -- to put it on your phone. [RS] Not only that, they provide collaborative services like team notification, manage deadlines. Other examples like to do lists, Remember the Milk, Ta-Da List [AL]

• Digital "Air" search tools (Google), email, Instant Messaging (IM), image processing, video and sound editing & other media tools, page layout, productivity tools (Microsoft and Adobe), [Richard Katz & Roy Pea] [IB] [Cyprien] [NN] [LJ]

• Classroom communication systems tools to ask questions, get feedback, and share the aggregated results in classes in real time. [Roy Pea] Integrating these tools with Courseware Management Systems for tracking student data, grades [Joeann Humbert --JH] Definitely. At the University of Calgary, Canada they are experimenting with wireless hand-held devices. Each student is encouarge to purchase one ($15 each), so they could respond to an average of three questions per class. The Prof’s used it to see if the students were understanding what was being taught. It allowed shy students to “voice” their misundertanding. [TZ] Really ought to be in functionality of mobile phones, e.g. does not technically require specialized equipment [AL]

• Content Mapping Tools [Roy Pea]

• HTML Templates & Portfolios ways in which students and faculty can easily update web content using templates and WYSIWYG editors [Timmo Dugdale] The ability to do this without having to master Dreamweaver or such [IB] Pretty much all that is there for blogging software, wikis, and more and more use WYSIWYG like editors -- any web text area form can allow formatted entry more easily via TinyMCE or other widgets [AL]

• Learning Management Systems Sakai, WebCT, BlackBoard, Desire to Learn. The open-source side of these is integreating realtime discussion tools. [Roy Pea] In addition to thinking about the broad use of these technolgies, should we be rethinking how to best push these tools, or combine these tools for richer, deeper learning? I think we have to have our eyes on the next technology, but I see budget constraints we face and heavier expectations for faculty at the forefront, and I wonder how much $$ and support institutions are going to have to devote to the new? Should we consider layers? I see most universities having a LMS, but I bet most faculty only use 3-4 features. [JH] The ability to collaboratively share/manipulate visual designs as well as written [IB] Another aspect of this question which impacts the student once they graduate from institutions of higher education is you've studied at an institution which, because of various subsidies for educational purposes, enabled you (the student) to learn and play with a variety of tools and technolgies--welcome to the real world where, it is very likely, the institution you are going to work for has little or no budget to allow you to purchase these tools and technologies or to stay current with what you have learned. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Check your idealogical beliefs and head straight for an industry job working for the man because only the for-profit world can afford to provide you with the tools and technologies you've become used to. [hmw]

• Social networking tools wikis (like this one), blogs, Flickr. [Richard Katz] [John Weber] I’ve been using YouTube to distribute students work to the class and the world. Talk about opening your class to auditors, anyone can view! [TZ] Is a wiki really social networking?? More like 43Things and more listed at WikiPedia [AL][Josie Fraser]

• Image-rich Communications Digital video, slide shows, images with voice over, still image sets [Kristina] [LJ] [John Weber] [IB] [JPJ] So the next question is WHAT should students watch/see/etc.. There is so much content out there, seems like students need good filters/editors, to find the valuable info. [TZ] But also emerging are the web-based tools to mix media into new content, e.g. JumpCut, FilmLoop, Smilebox, Tabblo, OurStory all offering web-based tools to build content, creative writing, storytelling, etc -- see especially DandeLife timeline based editor [AL].

• Easily Accessible Projection Systems Projectors with sound available for easy sharing [Kristina] How about laptops that project their images/sounds in order to be viewed socially? [John Weber] OK but this could lead to a form of info-environmental pollution. Also privacy may be a concern [TZ] Lipstick size projectors are already available; one can project from a cellphone or PDA onto paper on a table or wall or ... (JPJ = Jean Paul)

• Mobile computers (laptops) [Phil Long - PDL] Phones, GPS units, electronic whiteboards, tablet PCs [JH][Cyprien] [Josie Fraser] Maybe the category is "computers that don't look like your father's beige box"?

• Mobile / Geographic games Educational travel, exploration [Cyprien] [NN] ?? e.g. Road Sign Math [AL]

• RSS and related syndication tools [PDL] [NN] [LJ] [AL][Josie Fraser]

• Audio capture/distribution tools Podcasting, Lectopia, etc. - this is part of the Digital Air suite mentioned by Richard & Roy but I think it's helpful to be explicit at this stage [PDL] [NN] One big problem with audio is it's serial, so we need some clever index to plow through the boring stuff. [TZ] Big media files need to be able to accept specific clip addresses, like a bookmark -- Google Video and Odeo do it now [AL] [LJ] [Josie Fraser]

• Group collaboration software - from things like SharePoint (MS), to TeamSpot (from Tidebreak or it's OS equivalent iRoom), and Elluminate or Breeze [PDL] Including the visual [IB] [LJ]Groove is another example [BT]

• Portal Technologies In reality, only 30% of universities have leveraged this "customer experience" oriented technology. Long the mainstain of corporate culture creation/reinforcement, for most "mainstream" users, portal technology is LONG overdue in supporting basic transactional services [Lev Gonick] Single-Sign-On included for a quality experience [Julius] Compare to what one gets in web portals like Google Home Page or NetVibes [AL]

• Pervasive Wireless on campus Wireless is still being debated on campus. It has a role to be sure. Other than "because we can" what pedagogical drivers are really leveraging or driving the use of wireless as part of the academic experience. [Lev Gonick] Practical considerations in terms of 'printing' sometimes stifling the pedagogy [IB] [LJ]

• Personal Authoring Systems If we thought that we were "over this one", the explosion of Facebook and other authoring systems on the campus suggest that "we" never quite got it rigght. What, if any, role and technology do enterprise-wide authoring systems provide in creating a rich experience on campus for the value of being an author (and not just a consumer) of education content. [Lev Gonick] [John Weber] [LJ] Why should individuals come to us when free sites do it so much better? [AL]

• E-Portfolios Why oh why is it taking so long to build consensus and best practice adoption in the use of learning portfolios in support of authentic assessment? [Lev Gonick] Why? Because a a majority of faculty on the frontlines don't even know what an 'eportfolio' is, or what to do with them if they do know, and frontline IT departments are terrified of having those same, only moderately tech-savvy faculty put hoards of uncompressed video projects in the students' eportfolios, which they will need to keep there quasi-forever in a world of rapidly changing standards ? Just a guess.... [John Weber] Encouragement for the use of ePortfolios for non assessment reasons [IB]. Although students don't seem to buy into this technology (according to DoIT student surveys) it seems like it could be a good technology for students to use and have as they go through their college experience. Maybe they don't know what they don't know! {RS} [LJ] I believe students know better than we (instructors) do. I have seen students come up with phenomenal ideas and I definitely respect them. At best we can expose them to e-portfolios, but lets not assume we know better what is good for students (JPJ=Jean Paul)

• More training and release time for faculty to learn to use existing technologies, and more support for the analog-to-digital transition in departments that have relied heavily on analog image collections. [John Weber]Institutionally-supported faculty development programs and facilitation of faculty learning communities that use the stuff listed here [BT] I like this idea, even though it is not a "technology" which was the original question. One can think that every year an instructor puts 10-20% of his/her course in e-learning systems and replace it with new ideas and/or training time for him/herself (jpj=Jean Paul)

• Mashups - ok, if RSS and social software get to make it on the list of 'established' technologies, then so should mashups (ok, maybe question 3). Technique more than technology, but where are the lightweight APIs in higher ed? How about on various library systems? (why can't I WorldCat search enable my LMS by microformat?) The SIS (why can't my LMS display relevant info about a student when I mouse over their name as an instructor?) If we start looking at the various stores of information on our campuses from the perrspectives of being 'services' and adopt/create lightweight APIs to access them, this can lead to an explosion of simple apps consuming the data that no one had foreseen. [Scott Leslie] [Cyprien] [LJ]Maybe the deeper question is why our systems don't provide the APIs that allow it??

• Digital Space - While we wonder why eportfolios have not gone far (I think because it has more value for the institution than to the individual...), offering a "place" to store one's own storage becomes a more loose digital locker. [AL] MySpace for students work? [TZ]

• Textbooks 2.0 - As textbooks are more and more expensive static obsolete bricks, online publisher content, course cartridges, on demand course content (O'Reilly Safari), become the source? [AL] [LJ] I tend to print out things that are more than three screens long. As displays get better, perhaps this won't be necessary. Otherwise it will be like when I was a student in the 1970’s, several of the “text books” I used in smaller classes were printed out and picked up at the copy center.[TZ]

• Data Visualization Tools - Software that lets you look at data-over-time or other configurations in a different way, like Gapminder [RS]. And if you want to see Gapminder in action, look at the TEDtalk video on global trends. The power of such tools is stark cf teachers and students with PPT. [NN] That would be the talk by Hans Roling which is fabulous [AL]. Better integration of data silos so faculty have multiple options to access and get the most from data and resources that are already available [JH] [LJ] These tools have great potential to impact scholarship and in some disciplines tech partners are needed to move it ahead (EDUCAUSE presentation by 2 historians mad the plea for partnering on tool development). Intersects with need for integrated data asset management so that multi-disciplinary access is invited (JG)

• Automated Lecture Capture - Streamlining the production of classroom lectures for web access. Tools that let us capture audio, video and presentation media (i.e. Tegrity and Apreso) [Bill Shewbridge] I like having the ability to capture lectures, but would like to see wrap around technologies used (live chat, phone, etc) so that the experience becomes richer, not same old same old...[JH]

• Show me the content - I know the question asks about technologies and not content but am I to assume that the right content will simply be provided with these tools. There are a plethora of tools, I want to know who is talking about preparing content. [hmw] Strongly agree here. Content creation takes immense amounts of time, drawing on skill-sets that are often barely or not available. [John Weber]

• Comparative Image displays It's not good enough to see one image at a time, although we talk alot about non-linearity, we seem to build tools that display items in a linear fashion. What kind of tools exist to allow us to compare images? [hmw] [John Weber] http://www.myheritage.com/FP/Company/celebrities.php Find which celebrity matches your photo!] or Riya [AL] [LJ]

• Mechanical Turk Wow. Artificial artificial intelligence. Amazon.com's new initiative to deal with things computers cannot do but humans can [hmw] Breaking problems up in ways that Mechanical Turk can easily solve [Cyprien] [LJ]

• Moore's Law of Education - with credit and apologies (for possible misrepresentation) to Jim Spohrer et al. In order to use new knowledge on any given subject, force teachers to put 20% of any course, which they just taught, on the web (eLearning) and make it a prerequisite for next class to take this e-material, so that the instructor can introduce new material every time the course is taught. In this way, the amount of material a student learns will roughly double every 24 months. (JPJ)

• Grid computing this technology not only links students, faculty and researchers from around the world, but also allows them to conduct collaborative complex calculations in the hot fields of life sciences (bioengineering), nanotechnology, wheather, information-based healthcare, etc, allowing even institutions with limited IT capabilities to act as if they had all the computing power they need. Grid computing allows new models of universities working jointly in architecture of business and processes, privacy and security issues,autonomic computing, etc. (JPJ) For edu space, this is still a research tool, not a learning tool -- yet. Second Life is a good example of what grids can do in non-research contexts[LJ] I believe it is alearning too; think of it as each student having a super-computer as their notebook. Quite a tool to help learning ! (JPJ)

• Relationship (trust/recommender/referrer) Visualization the social networking tools mentioned above need codes of conduct to help them become more useful. The relationships that have always been essential for academic creation and transmission of knowledge could be tracked and visualized to help tease out patterns. [Cyprien] [NN] [LJ]

• Targetted Marketing based on interests and prior choices (could use private decisions like the Amazon suggestion systems or the power of the crowd as in LibraryThing [Cyprien]

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) UDL provides a blueprint for creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that accommodate learner differences. "Universal" does not imply a single optimal solution for everyone. Instead, it is meant to underscore the need for multiple approaches to meet the needs of diverse learners.[SEM] http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html

• enter your response here [LJ]

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