OMDE 610 - Reflective Journal
Week Nine - November 6th - 12th
Emerging Technologies
I found the discussions to be very interesting this week as we discussed the innovative technologies that are emerging, and how those emerging technologies can bring enhancements and new developments to the online learning environment. What caught my attention was how the emerging educational technologies are beginning to be similar to video games, such as the x-box and the Wii. While game-based learning caught my attention, so did gesture-based computing. When I think of gesture-based computing, I think of being able to use my physical body to complete tasks and activities. This would enhance the distance-education classroom because students will be able to actively participate in hands-on procedures. A great example would be an online auto-mechanics course. Classroom learning is required prior to going out to practice the applications that have been presented. However, students will be more prepared if they are able to practice those hands-on applications through the use of simulations and gesture-based learning.
Another example of gesture-based learning is when I used screen-savers, along with case-studies to teach my inmates the various abilities and functions of job-searching, resume-building, and applying for jobs on the internet. They didn’t have access to the actual internet, but I had to be creative in my approach to familiarize them with the internet and the various tools, such as email outside of the institution, as well as how to effectively use the internet achieve their job searching skills. Gesture-based learning allows for realistic learning without the actual tools being available. I can only imagine how creative I could be with gesture-based computing tools.
