Opportunity Horizon – Gartner: 2012 Top 10 Technologies
Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technologies of 2012
In this press release, Gartner Inc. identified the top 10 strategic technologies of 2012. I found it helpful that they included their definition of strategic technologies in the opening paragraphs because it helped put into focus the target audience for these technologies. To me, the projections were aimed towards businesses or IT personnel, but I could see the potential for educational uses in a few of their suggestions. A couple of the write-ups were definitely geared towards technology specialists. For example, the description about “Media Tablets and Beyond” had information mostly for IT leaders.
Most of the reviews were slightly ambiguous, but I think that they were only trying to give a general overview of what was to come and not an in-depth analysis. The potential for some of these technologies in an educational setting was exciting, but I predict that we won’t see some of these advances in classrooms for quite some time. Two areas that could make an impact in the academic world are “Cloud Computing” and “App Stores and Marketplaces”. With the idea of “Bring Your Own Devices” becoming more of a reality in a lot of school districts, the potential to create and find applications that supplement learning could be huge. As well, hybrid forms of “Cloud Computing” could allow students to have not only private storage space, but an external public cloud in which they could get applications and other resources.
Although several of the technologies suggested were very interesting, for educational purposes I don’t know if I would come back to this site. I think for venturers, this would be a good site to find prospective gains, but because it is not aimed towards education or educators, I would probably only come to this site for personal interest.
Lisa
Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
stammik 8:11 am on September 15, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Upon skimming through this report, I agree with you analysis Lisa.
In addition to the Cloud and App Store areas you focused on, I also see potential in the area of Contextual and Social User Experiences. I can envision the growth of mobile apps which leverage the camera and GPS location features in devices, to provide services and information to students when they arrive at school/campus and as they move through the campus. As an example, such technology is already being tried for identifying when students arrive at school, simplifying attendance tracking procedures. Privacy concerns are undoubtedly a concern in this example, but the concept is intriguing I think. I can envision augmented reality apps which could assist students (those able bodied and otherwise) in navigating the school/campus, finding resources, or in the case of a high-tech media lab such as I teach in, for providing real time tutorials and support for the various pieces of equipment in the lab.
Lisa Nevoral 6:36 pm on September 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Scott, I found your comment about identifying students and simplifying attendance tracking quite interesting. Privacy issues would be one area of concern, but I also think that there is an assumption being made that every student has a cell phone or mobile device. This may not always be the case. As well, what grades were these attendance tracking procedures taking place on? Are kindergartners expected to have these devices on them?
I can also see the potential of apps in the classroom. Now to only find the funding to provide the devices to students…
pcollins 8:19 am on September 15, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Lisa,
There are many online schools that are already making good use of cloud. For example, here in the Okanagan there is the youlearn.ca online school that has managed to mesh it’s moodle into google drive in a really amazing way. I don’t know how they have done it but it’s an incredible means of tracking students and having access to shared documents/portfolios/etc.
And BYOD is a huge reality too – simply because of the financials. Districts don’t have a means of keeping up with the technological changes due to financial restrictions. I’m chuckling as I say this because I have heard it so many times when I’m wheeling the laptop cart from 2002 into my classroom and kids are begging to be allowed to use their phones to carry out research.
Torture with out of date technology – there’s a first.
PC
Lisa Nevoral 8:09 pm on September 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi PC,
I have heard about youlearn.ca, but don’t have any experience with it. Post secondary institutes probably make use of cloud way more than is seen at the secondary and middle school levels.
Our district is looking at BYOD, but probably not for another 2-3 years; on one side, it would be good since signing out laptop carts is becoming harder and harder since more people are using them for projects, but on the other hand, will every student be expected to buy a device to use at school? Our school (and district) won’t be putting in anymore money for laptop carts.
Lisa
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Pat A Son 12:09 am on September 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Lisa,
As far as I can see no cutting edge technology in IT today was designed from the ground up for education. The PC, mobile computing, social networking and cloud computing are just a few that comes to mind. Furthermore as established in this course education is not the easiest market to break into. So it is not surprising that this report is not aimed at educators. Historically education is ‘added’ after the technology is established and its capacity for exploitation by educators is determined. In this report the Internet of Things (IoT) can be a vital tool for gathering data for research and context-aware computing be used to enhance the learning experience.
In the light of the position I have presented I am not convinced that despite the technology available today the current generation tablet PCs are not designed with student and teachers in mind but do not worry I will design one.
Patason
Lisa Nevoral 8:14 pm on September 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hey Patason,
Let me know when you have finished creating your “tablet” for educational purposes. I do agree, the current generation of tablets has some capabilities to use in classrooms, but they could be much, much better.
Pat A Son 11:39 am on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Lisa,
Just in case you missed it my tablet can be found in the venture forum @ https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec522sept12/2012/11/26/my-pitches-and-reflection/
Cheers
Patason