This column investigates emerging technologies in education and how we might use them in our work. Whether it is social media, wearable technologies, the latest in printers, personalization, big data, BYOD, cloud computing, mobile apps, MOOCs, analytics, digital identity, haptic interfaces, augmented reality, or the internet of things, we can all benefit from current thinking on these technologies. Contact the columnists at jeanette.evans@sbcglobal.net.
By Jeanette Evans | Associate Fellow and Charles Dull
A few years ago mobiles, mobile apps, cloud computing, and ebooks topped lists of emerging technology trends such as the Horizon Report. Today we see a move on these lists to wearable tech, bring your own device, and 3D printing, with a continuation of mobile and cloud computing. Online learning and flipped/blended learning are trends as well. For example, in flipped and blended learning, we see predictions of letting students watch lectures online in order to give teachers a chance to spend time in class on real-time collaborative activities and areas that challenge students. And in the online learning arena, we see continued growth and a move to measuring effectiveness.
Whether we work in an area related to education or not, it is always worthwhile to be aware of trends in educational technology to see if we can use related techniques for the audiences we serve in our own work.
The Horizon Report
The 2015 Higher Education Horizon Report (12th edition) is a collaborative effort by the New Media Consortium (NMC) that identifies technologies that likely have an impact on learning and teaching in higher education (www.nmc.org/ publication/ nmc-horizon-report-2015-higher-education-edition). Trends, challenges, and important developments appear in the report. The report notes that “with more than 13 years of research … the NMC Horizon Project can be regarded as the world’s longest-running exploration of emerging technology trends.”
Trends identified that could be of greatest interest to teachers of technical communication include:
- Evolution of online learning
- Rethinking of learning spaces
- A rise of data drive learning and assessments
- Agile approaches to change
Challenges of greatest interest include:
- Defining and support digital literacy
- Blending formal and informal learning
- Competition from new models of education
Important developments of interest include:
- Bring your own device
- Flipped classrooms
- Wearable technology
- The Internet of Things
Per the 2015 Horizon Report, the Internet of Things can be defined as a “network of objects that link the physical world with the world of information through the web.” Objects, sensors, and devices “can now be addressable and findable across the internet.” This can be useful for “tracking objects that monitor equipment or materials, point of sale purchases, and … inventory management.” It may be for many of us just a matter of time before we provide related documentation support, training materials, and other information products. We may be working on the “many web tools that allow objects to be annotated with descriptions, photographs … and other contextual information; the Internet of Things makes access to these data as easy as it is to use the web.”
Wearable technologies can include items of clothing such as shoes or a jacket, or an accessory such as sunglasses or a backpack. Wearable technology can “integrate tools that track sleep, movement, location, and social media.” Google Glass is an example of wearable technologies, letting users see information about their surroundings. Smart watches like the Apple Watch are another example of wearable technologies, letting users check email and complete other tasks through a highly portable interface.
Microlearning and Education
We hear so much about how attention spans are currently shrinking with people unable to put down their phones. Shrinking attention spans is a debatable topic, but we do see greater consumption of media and video content. We should keep this in mind as we develop learning products especially for technologies that are changing rapidly. Techniques useful in the past may not apply today especially for a changing work environment. Content that is shorter and to the point is often better in today’s world and something to consider for documentation.
The Next Tech
Culture and technology today are blending and integrating into our lives. We used to use technology. Now technology is used so seamlessly that we often do not realize it is technology. Examples include tweets, big data, analytics, microblogs, Facebook, bring your own device, and augmented reality (for example, Figure 1’s augmented reality instructions for a BMW car repair procedure (www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9KPJlA5yds). Wearable tracking technologies like FitBit, Apple Watch, or the iPod change how we live.
Two learning methods are popular. Compacted learning often comes as a result and something we can consider as we prepare documentation or whatever learning product deliverable would be a good fit for the application. Microlearning can include massive open online courses where you learn what you want, if you want, what part you want, and when you want. New educational communication tools for these methods include:
- Skype
- Webex
- Dimdim
- Adobe Connect
- Google Hangout
We live in a sound byte age. Younger generations have grown up thinking answers to questions are Google searches. Learning environments will change to on demand. Technology will continue to be more agile, merging use with life. The latest technology could be yesterday’s news, but we will continue to use tools to stay current.
JEANETTE EVANS (jeanette.evans@sbcglobal.net) has been active in STC for many years. She earned her MS in technical communication management from Mercer University and is currently providing technical writing services for groups such as Cuyahoga Community College.
DR. CHARLES DULL (charles.dull@tri-c.edu) holds the position of Assistant Dean in the Office of eLearning & Innovation at Cuyahoga Community College. He speaks often on topics such as emerging technologies and social media.
