Gauging the Future by Jonathan Nilson

smart contact lenses

2018-02-27 00:21:06 UTC

So far, a lot of the technology is obvious, it is big and bulky, at least noticeable. However, Samsung has patented a contact lens that projects directly into your eye and also has a camera.
https://mashable.com/2016/04/05/samsung-smart-contact-lenses-patent/#DbdnBdqXDaqm

This is a technology that will be very difficult to notice, leading to very easy breaches of privacy. Of course even today, cameras and recording devices can be and are concealed, but it is done deliberately. This is now a technology that can be used unintentionally and have grave consequences. It may also be used for decent purposes one day, and privacy violations the next, but with someone so used to wearing it, there would be no tells or difference in behaviour. Yet, it also presents a lot of potential benefits as well. I can understand why it is being made. - Robert Rem

XR open standard

2018-02-27 00:27:21 UTC

This seems like the fastest way for this to be developed and made main stream. Eventually, it is likely one standard would have won out anyway, so having such major players already collaborating shows promise. I almost see XR being the old Google Maps, before street view, before any real cameras were used beyond satellites. The idea of driving and tagging every street and business must have been daunting at first, but now it appears to be paying off (considering the ad revenue it generates). Tagging everything into XR and making our environments interact is a lot of code, a lot or time and energy, plus addidng descriptions for items.... But, it is likely to pay off when it is truly easy to use and ready for everyone. - Robert Rem

Nightmare of Notifications

bengisuebru — 2018-02-27 23:01:20 UTC

My concern for VR/AR technology's are not different from my fear for other emerging technologies that are powered by the internet. Different brands are competing rigorously for our attention and in this nightmare of notifications I fear to lost our own senses about what we truly feel or want. There is a really nice video about it by Keiichi Matsuda that I have watched a while ago. You can watch the video here.-Ebru

VR in Architecture to end

bengisuebru — 2018-02-27 23:11:18 UTC

For some people it is really hard to visualize a home merely looking at plans and sections. Over the past years 3D Renders came to the rescue but each revision with the client mostly means a new 3D Render from 0 which spend valuable time and energy. I fell like with an immersive VR experience, clients would give better feedbacks since they can see the proposal for different times of the day or be able to change the colors etc. -Ebru

It's the Future

alizain52 — 2018-02-28 18:46:35 UTC

The other day I went to Bestbuy and they have barcodes on all the products. So, I scanned one item on my cellphone and it gave me all the information about that product. So now with new technology, we will just point to a particular item or place or even a person, it would give us all the information about that thing or a person.
Going forward, we won't have to memorize anything, students will point to a math question and it will give them the entire solution and how it is calculated and what's the logic behind it.
But do we really want this? That's the question we educators need to ask ourselves.

MAD Gaze and tripping

brian_w_haas — 2018-03-02 20:32:12 UTC

The problem I see with things like MAD Gaze is that they create distractions from reality. Not in the sense that you get lost in a virtual world stop functioning in society (though that is a concern to some degree with some VR experiences) but more along the lines of being unaware of the real world in a physical sense. Can’t you just see someone chasing a monster out into a street and getting hit by a car or looking at something while walking and tripping due to a lack of focus? I know this is kind of minor, but in a world where people already get hurt a lot due to their focus on their phones, isn’t this just going to provide another layer of distraction that can possibly make the world a more dangerous space to move in? Just a thought.
- Brian

VR & Situated Learning

brian_w_haas — 2018-03-02 21:00:54 UTC

As VR interfaces become more standardized (as mentioned above) I think there will be more development in areas of situated learning. It is one thing to teach a student about something and another to give them a chance to “do it”. VR presents an opportunity for students to do things that would be impossible in a regular classroom. For years people have been trained in simulators (which often cost crazy amounts of money to build - think flight simulators) but VR puts simulators in the hands of normal people. I think that is cool. – Brian

HP Reveal really got me thinking... Dana :)

teacherdanabjornson — 2018-03-03 23:25:43 UTC

For where the technology is now, I can actually see me being able to integrate Reveal into my practice today. I included this youtube video on an earlier Padlet (sorry about the repeat!); only because it gives many uses for the learning workplace. Jon's bio at the homepage also gives some great ideas for using AR at schools. Our yearbook teacher just reminded me that she has been using Aurasma/Reveal for the last couple years. When a student hovers their phone over the codes in the yearbook, it links them to associated videos of that event! Because this technology has been in the workplace for a few years now, it seems as though pioneers have not only broken the ice, but have come up with ideas that are proven to be effective. (And some of them have thankfully created YouTube videos for us newbies!) Issac Newton is quoted to have said, "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Not to compare myself to Newton , but everything I have learned regarding technology is due to other folks rocking it waaaaay before I.

Health Risks associated with VR. ~Dana

teacherdanabjornson — 2018-03-03 23:39:33 UTC

I came across this on Twitter this week. It seems as though kids who have poor balance and poor vision, show signs of even worse balance and vision, post-VR use. The question that researchers are now looking into is, do these effects linger and if they do, for how long?
My husband brought up a good point, though. If you spin around a baseball bat (on your forehead) three times, you will be dizzy for awhile. If you spin 20 times, you may be vomiting! I think it is reasonable to have certain individuals experience varying degrees of dizziness and nausea, during these immersive experiences. As educators, being aware of this difference would be prudent and having limited time spent in VR and options for those who may have heightened negative effects. Those with heart problems, should probably avoid the roller coasters, too!!! Since physiological effects are experienced, proper training on this technology should be required, before using it with students or the general public.

VR Collaboration

2018-03-04 04:52:08 UTC

As a distance learning teacher, much collaboration is completed through online collaborative spaces i.e. Zoom, Google Docs. Weekly, we have staff meetings using the Zoom video conferencing room, and I meet there with students at various times throughout the week. I can see the VR collaboration tool being used in the future of staff meetings and class times with students in a distance learning program.

MAD Gaze venture

2018-03-04 04:55:41 UTC

This venture, in particular, was disconcerting for me. Maybe it was the style of promotion within the video, but it seemed that people were gathering together socially, putting on these glasses and entering into an individual world. When technology disregards the value of those who are present around us, I become very hesitant to engage.

Inclusive Education

2018-03-04 15:32:53 UTC

AR/VR seems to coincide with the path of inclusive education which excites me as a secondary education teacher. The applications of AR/VR in the classroom are endless and it can range from assisting a student in visualizing their homework assignment to providing a new opportunity of a virtual field trip to a works yard. Personally, I have had great experiences with AR/VR in the classroom and the biggest detriment to education at the moment is the cost. At UBC there is a fully functional AR/VR lab that students may sign up and have a chance to experience and explore the software. My class went as a group and we had a chance to do some green screening, light boards, google glasses, VR googles, simulations etc. and it was all a blast. It brings a fresh development to education and its easy accessibility can be a great improvement to any student.

Derek Wong

Personal worry for AR/VR

2018-03-04 15:37:59 UTC

As a trades education teacher, there is a personal worry I have for the development of AR/VR technology. We have already seen the introduction and application of AR/VR in the trades education world through the lense of virtual field trips to works yards, simulated tool and machinery usage and modular learning from correspondence. While AR/VR increases accessibility of education, in the trades education world, I fear it removes a "real" aspect of the profession. For example, there is an AR technology out there currently (Sorry, I forgot the name of the exact product) that is a simulation welding machine. It allows an operator to select the type of weld, thickness of metal, etc. and they can then practice pretend welds on simulated objects. The simulation works great for statistical analysis, but it doesn't provide a genuine feel for the actual operation of a welding machine and it ignores an incredible amount of safety hazards that can present itself when using an actual machine. My worry here is if the technology becomes progressive enough, it may be accepted as a certifiable means of education after using these AR machines, but the students that attend the work force will have a huge learning curve ahead of them as they haven't experienced the real dangers of welding.

Derek Wong

Google Expedition

pikehomework — 2018-03-04 21:29:23 UTC

I saw this while looking through the OER and quickly jumped to Google's site pitching the product. I see Expedition as a solid investment for an entire school, as it provides so much opportunity for students to easily experience the world. With B.C.'s new Grade 10 curriculum coming out next year, I am going to see if I can get an Expedition kit for my Creative Writing students, and see what kinds of expeditions ignite their writing.

Scott P.

Intel glasses...

2018-03-05 00:59:52 UTC

From Cassy W. WOWsville! We're on the cusp of significant evolution in the AR/VR space. I've always put the AR/VR space squarely in 'entertainment' because of the clunky, expensive accessories. Intel is taking the clunkiness out and replacing with elegance. And, most importantly, incorporating the 'everyday' into AR/VR -- shopping lists, corrective lenses with 'tilt' mode to avoid distractions when you should not be distracted, with intelligent filters (what do I need to know versus what I don't need to know). I realize that Intel is showing us Bluesky stuff now, but I suspect within 10 years, AR/VR will be an option (affordable) to any eyeglass purchase. The Intel interview summary nails it: Hardware is hardware (everything always gets smaller and more affordable) but the magic is in the software/middleware. There is significant opportunity in the software/middleware side of the AR/VR market segment -- I may set my sights on my next big adventure, which would focus on this very exciting emerging space!

Health / Headache

haggymet — 2018-03-05 04:30:50 UTC

We have started using the Google expedition app in our school along with the Youtube videos (especially for biology) that display in VR. My only concern is how long the students can be viewing through the goggles before they start feeling ill (motion sickness) or get a headache. Our city just recently opened up a VR Arcade. I haven't had a chance to pop in yet but I definitely have the same type of concerns.

360 Cameras

marshallhacker911 — 2018-03-05 04:46:09 UTC

I am most excited about 360 cameras because they allow new perspectives of regions and allow students to gain a better understanding of a region. In addition they can allow for students to go on virtual school tours which could otherwise be too expensive or dangerous to attend in person. These technologies are becoming more affordable each year and I am hoping to use this to help engage students more in the classroom.
-Marshall Hacker

Cheating

marshallhacker911 — 2018-03-05 04:52:41 UTC

My biggest concern with AR technologies are products similar to Google glass because they give students an increased ability to cheat during tests. This can be hard to monitor as the technologies continue to become smaller and easier to conceal on a person. I have seen the effects of students using smart watch technologies in the class and I believe the addition of smart glasses can only make cheating more difficult to prevent.
- Marshall Hacker