Even though some ideas aren’t very practical for everyday usage, they are still pretty cool nonetheless. One such project is the one where a team from Framework turned an actual school bus into a virtual Mars ride. It’s a pretty intense project. They have computer screens that switch from clear to opaque, so that the windows of the bus can be windows as well as computer screens. Then the mapped the surface of Mars to the city streets. Then they made the simulation react to bumps and turns. Sounds really expensive, but the idea is a good one. Watch the video above to see the whole thing – the look on the kids faces are priceless.
One of the problems with virtual reality is that it is virtual – the things yopu see and interact with are not really there, so you can’t reach out and touch them. Which generally makes most VR experiences pretty passive – even adding a joy stick makes VR more like a game than a simulation. Of course, many companies are working on ways to add touch to virtual objects. One recent company is Dexmo, which adds an exoskeleton to your hands to enable simulated touch. While the set-up looks clunky, the idea that it is recreating the shape and consistency of virtual objects could be very useful in medical, educational, and manufacturing realms, among others. Apparently, no price is given, and the manufacturer wants to wait until VR software begins programming touch into their games and simulations. But this is still one step closer to Star Trek Holodecks (or at least the immersion suits described in Ready Player One).
Web annotation tools are not really that new, but have mostly been utilized for contextualized commenting or personal note taking. A more innovative use of these tools is for constructive criticism or group critique. Tools like hypothes.is can allow people to annotate publicly or privately in a closed group. For example, see this problematic article on the relationship between teachers and students, and how many have critiqued the article for a fascinating discussion (this particular critique example was started by Dr. Maha Bali). Instead of commenting on articles at the end, people can comment on specific parts, and then interact with others who also comment. Probably a much better system than typical discussion forum assignments – and also ultimately probably what many instructors want discussions to be like in the first place. The video above goes into more detail about the vision behind open annotation. In general, it is an idea that can subvert commenting and distribute the power of commenting. Of course, it could also empower abuse as well. But the ability to comment on specific sections of a web page rather than just the end, and then to start a discussion with anyone or a private group is intriguing.
Intel has been showing off Project Alloy, a self-contained headset that combines augmented reality with virtual reality. My first thought was “isn’t anything that isn’t virtual reality just augmented reality by default?” Well, the answer seems to be yes and no. It seems that alloy will use built in cameras to bring real life objects and people into the virtual world. The demonstration video above doesn’t wow as much as offer promise (especially in the commercial at the end), but ultimately I could see these kinds of projects solving the isolating problems that virtual reality could cause. Also, it is interesting that they are designing a self-contained headset that does not rely on an external computer. Which is probably why there is such low quality in the demonstration video when real objects come into view. At least you can finally see your hands in VR. To me, this seems more like what Virtual Reality should be – a virtual simulation that can bring your real body and those around you into the simulation. Saying it is merged with augmented reality is a bit of a stretch for some, i am sure. But probably an important distinction to make.
Brought to you by a team of developers led by the guy that invented the World Wide Web (Tim Berners-Lee), Solid is a new project designed to “radically change the way Web applications work today, resulting in true data ownership as well as improved privacy.” The basic idea is that the data in an application is “decoupled” from the data inside it, meaning that if your favorite service shuts down (like MySpace, Jaiku, etc), you can switch to another and not lose what you did on that service. You would control your data and what happens to it. Stephen Downes looks at some of the applications being built on Solid. Solid is probably quite a way away from going mainstream, so don’t plan to use it this Fall in classes. However, for people that want to get serious about data ownership, this is a project to keep your eyes on.
I have kind of lost count of how many 3-D printing revolutions there currently are out there. About 30 or so I would say. But if you ignore the over used hype of “revolution,” there are often some interesting ideas out there. One of the problems with 3-D printing is that even higher cost devices struggle to replicate fine details. One company that is seeking to fix that is Adam Beane Industries. The video above has been out for a while, but there is currently a Kickstarter to take their Cx5 tool-set to the next level. The basic idea is that you print out a basic 3-D base (like the dinosaur head above), smooth out the imperfections and lines from printing, then add fine detail with a specialized set of sculpting tools and drops of melted filament. Obviously, this tool would appeal more to those that have the artistic chops to do something with it. I’d like to see this combined with the ability to change colors, and maybe even an airbrush. My guess is that someday 3-D printing will evolve enough that we will be able to print objects with this level of detail from the start. Or maybe these tools will be integrated into 3-D printers on robot arms. Who knows. But an interesting development, and also good to see that an idea from last year is still moving forward.
One of the biggest questions about any emerging technology is “will it make it?” In other words, will it become popular enough to became an actual, sustainable “thing”? This question has profound effects (not always in good ways) on whether or not new technologies have a future in learning innovation. The more popular an idea becomes, then more companies will starting make products, and increased competition drives down prices while increasing options. And hopefully, a low-cost easy to use option will arise.
Virtual Reality seems to be (slowly) crossing that barrier into mainstream adoption. Depending on how one maps the growth of VR, its been on a traditional trajectory, or a highly unusual one. But the signs that it is reaching more adoption are things like the Virtual Reality fueled promos (like the one above for the most-awesome Stranger Things series on Netflix) as well as new Virtual Reality films in production. From Lucasfilm making a Darth Vader virtual reality movie to a panoramic alien invasion movie starring Wesley Snipes that might have VR-like sections, it seems that at least Hollywood is taking notice. And it probably won’t be too long before we unfortunately see “How VR will disrupt Education!” sessions at Ed-Tech conferences. But it seems that VR is actually going somewhere.
“Designing a Dual Layer cMOOC/xMOOC” is probably the first attempt to document the learner pathways model that was conceptualized in a DesignJam for DALMOOC in 2014. The original name for the idea was “dual layer,” but since that term implies hierarchy, it was soon abandoned. The evolution of these ideas will be documented here. The overall idea pulls on a lot of existing ideas, so this initial blog post became a series of posts as we tried to flesh out the idea. Some of these ideas stuck, others did not. The diagram that was created for this blog post basically contains the idea in a nutshell.
