This A3 looks at the far futuristic possibilities of 5G networks. I decided to create this digital artifact as a collection of the bulk of information I discovered through the journey of ETEC 523. The process starts with key blogs and the group discussions during the progression stages from the Week 12 Movable Feast. I then examine the viability of educational learning method under the limitations of the classroom environment with the mobile tools available. Credibility of this possibility is supported by key experts and institutions in the field of physics. I also had an opportunity to reference one of my favourite series on Amazon Prime. I conclude with redefining the definition of mobile learning with these possibilities. If you enjoy science fiction, you may really enjoy my A3. Below I have provided the dialog from the presentation with references.
A3 Presentation Transcript:
Hi my name is Brittany Hack. I’m an Educational Technologist and ESL Instructor for LINC Programming. I also specialize in written policy alternatives for technology and innovation. Before you continue watching this video, I encourage you to check out our group project called the Movable Feast, a mobile digital artifact about 5G Networks. I have posted its link in the public youtube video. The project will help to provide a concrete understanding about what I would like to discuss next. The topic is called Beyond 5G and the Classroom Environment.
This entire discussion began with the collaborative project I was assigned to with my group peers during the research phase of the Moveable Feast. It started with Wendy (Mulligan, 2021) who posted an important article from Bloomberg News (Zhao et al., 2021) in our UBC Mobile and Open Learning blog about 6G technology. Lyndsay (Barrett, 2021) shortly after posted an interesting comment debating if this technology “arms race” would lead to the end of 5G networks entirely. At our online meetings we debated this reality trying to find value in the importance of 5G, even though it may be obsolete in some countries by the next Winter delivery of our UBC course. The entire rational of creating the Movable Feast was to design a digital artifact for future UBC students to explore. During this meeting, Toby (Beck, 2021) presented a very good idea for the project, which he titled in the UBC blog “5G and the School of One?”. It was originally posted by the Entrepreneur (2020) and discusses the larger possibilities of 5G, as in bridging the realism of the classroom environment with technologies using virtual and augmented reality. It gave the impression that the technology may remove the need of ever having to step foot into an educational institution every again. Our group wanted to discuss these possibilities in our Movable Feast, but the topic was clearly outside the scope of the project requirements. This was really hard, since Nini being employed with a company in China could provide testimony of the amazing possibilities of using 5G technology in education. The ideas from our group discussions were so good, I thought at the very least I could do is scratch the surface of them with this final A3 project for our class. Now that you are aware of the background, I’ll dig deeper in how these pieces of information may indeed forecast the future of education beyond 5G.
The first clue comes form an earlier article that I (Hack a, 2021) posted on the UBC blog called “5G Networks and Industry X”. The Nokia (2020) video posted with my article was from the GTI Summit 2020. Nokia’s President and CEO Rajeev Suri provided a 14 minute video on 5G Networks producing the byproduct of Industry X. As it implies in mathematics, X is representing a variable of unknown value, which is exactly what Suri was using to describe the anticipated results that would stem from digital industries. Our world is on the cusp of transitioning from an industrial to an informational economy. Until 5G grids are functional globally, it is unclear what impact it may have on jobs and society (Nokia, 2020). What is know from my other post (Hack b, 2021) with Bill Nye, an American Engineer, is that 5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks that are built on different radio frequency waves (T-mobile, 2020). Therefore depending on the generation type, it will determine which frequency or frequencies the network will use. As NASA explains, satellites also use radio waves to transmit signals to Earth (Campbell, 2017), which begs the question is XG when the networks moves into outer space? NASA does not think this idea is farfetched at all.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology designed a project for students to explore called “Imagine You’re an Astronaut”. Ota describes a scenario of you the student with your family living on the International Space Station. The living arrangements are very cramped, you have no access to a physical school, and much of your learning is conducted through online communications with your teacher. Ota also suggests that you must never stop learning since much of your time will be used to adapt to your new living environment (NASA, Nd). This suggests that experiential learning will likely play a vital role in this type of living arrangement. To get a better perspective of what this type of learning would look like, the Amazon series the Expanse may provide clues.
In season 4 episode 7 Felcia a young girl is pulling out power modules from inside a spaceship. Felcia and Naomi are communicating with each other from two separate spaceships floating above the planet’s atmosphere. The young girl is placed in a position of experiential learning because her ship is at risk of burning up into the planet’s atmosphere. As the adult, Naomi is providing Felcia critical instructions that will save the crew of Felcia’s ship.
Naomi the engineer asks Felcia “You ever been in the guts of a spaceship before?” Felcia replies “Not a working one” and then explains her previous traditional school experience with the task. She explains, “There was an old decommissioned freighter (spaceship) on the Ganymede docks I went to on a school field trip….I thought I’d be doing stuff like this in university sims, not for real in orbit” Naomi reassures her “Trust me this is a better education than any university could give you”.
(Fergus and Ostby, 2019)
Concerning how realistic this scenario may be, UC Berkeley’s astrophysicist Alex Filippenko critiqued the accuracy of the Sci- Fi series The Expanse. As he explains:
“The Expanse, instead of spacemen traveling faster than the speed of light without dying thanks to an “inertial dampener,” travel across the solar system is achieved through continual acceleration, strategic changes in direction, and an injected mitigating agent known as “the juice…Spaceships are built like skyscrapers with perpendicular acceleration generating the force necessary to create gravity within. The entire series is confined to our solar system and communications are not instantaneous between planets.” (El Gafy, 2021).
In other words the idea of experiential learning in space is very likely viable. With this new classroom environment, it also brings new ideas to the definition of mobile learning. Keep in mind these thoughts are only from my observations since vast amounts of human society are not currently living in space.
First, a handheld mobile device for communicating and data collecting is one method of being at anytime and any place.
Second, the spacesuits one wears are mobile and able to communicate with the spaceship and other astronauts at anytime and place.
Third, the ship is also a mobile vessel that can communicate and transmit data at anytime and any place across the stars and to habitable planets.
Due to this perspective I feel highly optimistic that the future of mobile 5G technology will eventually transcend to the stars. When that day will come, I do not know, however, it is somewhere at XG.
References:
Barrett, Lyndsay. (2021). 6G Tech is Coming!. [Blog Post]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. February, 9. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/02/09/6g-tech-is-coming/
Beck, Toby. (2021). 5G and the School of One?. [Webpage]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. January, 25. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/01/25/5g-and-the-school-of-one/
Campbell, Ashley. (2017). How do satellites communicate?. [Website]. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Washington, DC: United States. August, 7. https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/communications/outreach/funfacts/txt_satellite_comm.html
Entrepreneur. (2020). 5G: How it will be used in the education of the future. [Webpage]. December, 15.https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/361728
Fergus, Mark. Hawk Ostby. (2019). A Short in the Dark. [Season 4, Episode 7]. The Expanse: Amazon Prime Video. 20:41 – 22:00.
El Gafy, Fareid. (2021). An Astrophysicist Explains Why The Expanse Is TV’s Most Accurate Sci-Fi Show. [Webpage]. ScreenRant. February, 8. https://screenrant.com/expanse-show-sci-fi-accuracy-why-reasons/
Hack a. (2021). 5G Networks and Industry X. [Webpage]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. January, 25. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/01/25/5g-networks-and-industry-x/
Hack b. (2021). 5G Networks Explained in 3 Minutes. [Webpage]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. February, 11. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/02/11/5g-networks-explained-in-3-minutes/
Mulligan, Wendy. (2021). 6G Tech is Coming! [Webpage]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. February, 9. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/02/09/6g-tech-is-coming/
NASA. (Nd). Imagine You’re an Astronaut. [Webpage]. NASA. California Institute of Technology: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Pasadena, California: United States. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/imagine-youre-an-astronaut/
Nokia, (2020). 5G for all: the amazing social impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. [Youtube Video]. July, 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQIy9dHbJ5o
T-mobile. (2020). 5 Facts about 5G Explained by Bill Nye! | T-Mobile. [Youtube Video]. February, 10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YFNfVP0_00
Zhao, Shirley. Scott, Moritz. Thomas, Seal. (2021). Forget 5G, the U.S. and China are Already Fighting for 6G Dominance. Bloomberg: Technology. [Webpage]. February, 8. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-02-08/forget-5g-the-u-s-and-china-are-already-fighting-for-6g-dominance https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-02-08/forget-5g-the-u-s-and-china-are-already-fighting-for-6g-dominance
Photo References:
Barrett, Lyndsay. (2021). 6G Tech is Coming!. [Blog Post Photo]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. Created April 2, 2021. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/02/09/6g-tech-is-coming/
Beck, Toby. (2021). 5G and the School of One?. [Webpage Image]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. Created April 2, 2021. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/01/25/5g-and-the-school-of-one/
Campbell, Ashley. (2017). How do satellites communicate?. [Webpage Image]. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Washington, DC: United States. Created April 4, 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/communications/outreach/funfacts/txt_satellite_comm.html
El Gafy, Fareid. (2021). An Astrophysicist Explains Why The Expanse Is TV’s Most Accurate Sci-Fi Show. [Webpage]. ScreenRant. Created April 4, 2021. https://screenrant.com/expanse-show-sci-fi-accuracy-why-reasons/
Fergus, Mark. Hawk Ostby. (2019). A Short in the Dark. [Season 4, Episode 7 Images]. The Expanse: Amazon Prime Video. 20:41 – 22:00. Created April 4, 2021.
Free Photos. (2015). Milky Way. [JPG]. Pixabay. November, 10. https://pixabay.com/photos/milky-way-universe-person-stars-1023340/
geralt. (2017). Turn On. [JPG]. Pixabay. November, 8. https://pixabay.com/photos/turn-on-turn-off-industry-energy-2923046/
Hack. (2018). Britt. [Photo Booth]. Mac Air. September, 26.
Hack. (2020). Britt and Veena. [Smartphone Image]. Samsung Galaxy 8. November 30.
Hack a. (2021). 5G Networks and Industry X. [Webpage Image]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. January, 25. Created April 2, 2021. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/01/25/5g-networks-and-industry-x/
Hack b. (2021). 5G Networks Explained in 3 Minutes. [Webpage Image]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. Created April 4, 2021. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/02/11/5g-networks-explained-in-3-minutes/
Mittermeier, Felix. (2017). Milky Way. [JPG]. Pixabay. August, 23. https://pixabay.com/photos/milky-way-starry-sky-night-sky-star-2675322/
Mulligan, Wendy. (2021). 6G Tech is Coming!. [Webpage Image]. ETEC 523: Mobile and Open Learning. University of British Columbia: Canada. Created April 2, 2021. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/02/09/6g-tech-is-coming/
NASA. (Nd). Imagine You’re an Astronaut. [Webpage Image]. NASA. California Institute of Technology: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Pasadena, California: United States. Created April 2, 2021. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/imagine-youre-an-astronaut/
Nokia, (2020). 5G for all: the amazing social impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. [Youtube Video Image]. Created April 2, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQIy9dHbJ5o
Spry, Jeff. (2020). ‘The Expanse’ season 5 launches back onto Amazon Prime Video this week. [Website Images]. Space.com. Created April 4, 2021. https://www.space.com/the-expanse-season-5-amazon-prime-video-premiere
T-mobile. (2020). 5 Facts about 5G Explained by Bill Nye! | T-Mobile. [Youtube Video Image]. Created April 4, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YFNfVP0_00
Wolter, Thomas. (2019). Space. [JPEG]. PixaBay. March 27. https://pixabay.com/photos/space-space-station-earth-cosmos-4085267/
Woroniecki, Joshua. (2020). Laptop. [JPG]. Pixabay. July, 30. https://pixabay.com/photos/laptop-desk-home-video-conference-5448504/
wuwow. (2015). Night View. [JPG]. Pixabay. August, 14. https://pixabay.com/photos/night-view-urban-landscape-beijing-888678/
Hi Brittany,
I like how you shared your mobile 5G journey through 523, it certainly is a good overview of the topic and gives insight into your processing. Through this class I know so much more about 5G than I did a few months ago, and yet still there are so many unknowns. I can only assume that we will continue to hear about it for months and years to come, until it is obsolete. How quickly will that happen?
I’m not a sci-fi fan and haven’t heard of “The Expanse”, but it seems to present some interesting ideas and perspectives on the future of learning and exploration. I wonder how our current students will reflect upon the classrooms of today from the perspective of the mobile classes of the future.
What an interesting perspective Brittany! It is always a curious rabbit hole to wonder where our mobile devices can lead us in the future. I like the analogy you’ve used to explore how mobile technology can transcend into the stars in the future era of XG. Looking at how the developments today are aiding our world transition from an industrial to informational economy, I can only begin to imagine what a future era in space could be like and what shifts will take place at that point.
I think you’ve touched on a key concept though: Experiential Learning. As an educator, I do my best to engage my students in experiential learning because it truly is the best way to learn new information. Research over the years has demonstrated that most students retain around 10% of what they read, but 80% of what they do. Mobile technology can allow educators to build real-world problems for students to innovate solutions for, given that the information necessary is at their fingertips at any given time. If we back down from XG technology to 5G or even 6G, the idea of having students collaborate to innovate across Earths surface will help us build stronger connections and improve living conditions through experiential learning. But to imagine now that we could build that across the universe? Well that truly is a forecast for the future!
Thanks Elixa for your comment. I wanted to find a method of bridging my learning throughout this course to a futuristic forecast. I think it’s important to also consider that ideas do not come out of a vacuum. It takes many smart minds to generate an idea. The group meetings for the Movable Feast and various blog posts resulted in this manifestation. You never know how one person’s ideas can inspire someone to create.