Originally posted by Adam Matthews on March 29, 2015
Please watch the video below and follow the link through to my article on Medium. I chose to do the video as a way to illustrate the technology in a simple and credible way. I discovered Medium while doing research for my assignment 1 and really like the way in which comments are handled as well as the layout of the site. Much of the technology necessary for this advancement in education is available as of publication and what isn’t is well underway. Most often when we want information in absence of an expert, we choose Google. However the way in which information is searched and displayed has changed very little. Natural language communication with computers will enable computational knowledge experts to guide us through daily teachable moments as we encounter them. Initially, I see this as an impact into the DIY or adult learning segments of education but it has already made its way to children’s toys. Take a look.
I am fascinated by how this concept can quite literally replace traditional teachers. Students can ask any question about their environment and see content and information related to the topic within seconds. Additionally, it’s auditory based, which means they can focus on the object in reality while listening to information on the subject. This is an incredible design and holds a world of opportunity for rapid discovery and learning!
I think this is a great example of informal, or life-long, learning. It takes the learning out of the classroom and into the real world; allowing almost instant access to knowledge surrounding everyday items that we might not know anything about. I would believe most of us have come across technology similar to this in museums and galleries (I can remember my first trip to The Experience Music Project in Seattle and having a headphone set that I could point at various displays and have a voice explain the context behind them in great detail) but using this augmented reality allows us to venture outside the conventional four walls and discover our surroundings.