By Jeanette Evans | Associate Fellow
Electronic books and mobile devices top the list of emerging technologies in the world of learning, teaching, and creative inquiry. This is in relation to time-to-adoption per the 2011 edition of The Horizon Report (http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2011/). Technical communicators can benefit by looking at these findings and asking how the identified trends might influence our own work in the future, especially in terms of how to best serve our users. We can ask ourselves, for example, if users will expect to have instructional materials available to them on their cell phones for access anytime and anywhere.
What is The Horizon Report?
The New Media Consortium and EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) worked together to provide the report and complete the underlying research, providing such research and reports since 2005.
Hewlett Packard (HP) provided a grant to make the 2011 report possible. In the report, HP calls itself the “world’s largest technology company” and an organization that creates “technology solutions that benefit individuals, business, governments, and society” and thus, a logical supporter for the work of the report.
What are the six emerging technologies?
While electronic books and mobiles top the list in terms of time to adoption, the following is the complete list of the six technologies identified:
- Electronic books
- Mobiles
- Augmented reality
- Game-based learning
- Gesture-based computing
- Learning analytics
What is the time to adoption?
Conclusions based on the results of the research concerning time to adoption include:
- 1 year or less = electronic books, mobiles
- 2 to 3 years = augmented reality, game-based learning
- 4 to 5 years = gesture-based computing, learning analytics
Whenever and wherever
One of the highly ranked trends noted in last year’s report that continues to grow today is that “People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want.” It may only be a matter of time before our users expect to work this way with our deliverables.
Another trend from the report is that “Companies are starting to respond to consumer demand for access anywhere.” As an example, airlines offer wireless network access during flights. In the near future your company may provide you with a wireless device, if they have not already, and expect your deliverables to be accessible anywhere by users.
“The world of work is increasingly collaborative.” This is a trend that has continued from the 2010 report, driven by the global and cooperative nature of business interactions facilitated by Internet technologies. One billion people, as noted in the report, could fit the definition of mobile workers already. By 2013, according to some estimates, 1.2 billion workers will perform work from multiple locations.
Electronic books and mobile devices
The report concludes that these technologies are already so prevalent that they are likely the top ones in the time-to-adoption category. In our own field, one option for viewing magazines such as Intercom is via electronic ePubs and mobile-friendly versions of the HTML website. STC also provides Technical Communication in an electronic format, confirming the trend that The Horizon Report notes of electronic access to scholarly journals becoming more common.
In business applications, the report notes an interesting pilot where students at RMIT University used electronic course material developed from a traditional textbook. Students were able to delve deeply into the material, access related information, and use highlighting and annotation to take notes in the digital text.
In addition to the advantages of size and weight, electronic books also provide the advantages of a new kind of reading experience. This includes visually rich interfaces and interactive elements.
As for mobiles, more and more people prefer a mobile device to sitting at a monitor to access the Internet or other digital applications.
Augmented reality
How does the report define augmented reality? Part of the answer appears in the list of examples provided in the report. Looking at geography and history applications, for instance, students study an augmented globe in a text to get a better idea of geographical features, and they view actual locations to study and better understand history.
For communication dealing with these types of subjects and especially for learning initiatives, augmented reality could certainly apply as a possible benefit for users as well.
Game-based learning
A recent edition of Technical Communication features a cover showing educational websites for children and also mentions games for children, tapping into a subject—game-based learning—that reflects what the report notes is one of the emerging trends identified.
While games (for example, word searches and crossword puzzles) have been part of learning for many years, the technique of teaching with games could grow even bigger using computer-based programming for the learning experience.
Gesture-based computing
What is gesture-based computing? According to the report, the interface on the Apple iPhone and iPad are examples. The screens react to pressure and motion.
Another example in which devices react to being shaken or moved in space is the Nintendo Wii. Creating a minimal interface is what holds this category of devices together. Plus, this type of interface changes the way we interact with computers. How exactly this will affect us is not yet clear, but as time emerges, we may find these interfaces more common and our deliverables should adapt.
Learning analytics
Learning analytics are defined in the report as data mining and modeling applied to teaching and learning in order to tailor education to individual student needs.
Part of the answer to the question “what are learning analytics?” also appears in examples of learning analytics links provided in the report, such as Scribd (www.scribd.com). This document-sharing hub has a feature described as “Google Analytics for documents,” which shows how different documents, presentations, and files are being used.
What we can conclude
Part of the methodology used to arrive at conclusions in the report is related to the key technologies that have a solid user base in consumer, entertainment, and other industries and how educational institutions can look for ways to apply these technologies. In a similar way, a question we should ask ourselves is what technologies should the technical communication community be looking at and borrowing from consumer, academic, or other industries. We could apply ideas and technologies from other industries to help our users.
Jeanette Evans (jeanette.evans@sbcglobal.net) has been active in STC and Northeastern Ohio (NEO) STC for many years, currently serving as academic relations co-chair and newsletter co-chair. She holds an MS in technical communication management from Mercer University and has presented often at STC conferences and events.
