Assignment 4: Futurist Report

by Caron Webster Presented in Partial Fulfilment Of the Requirements of EDID 6506 Trimester III, 2012-2013

Student : Student ID: University: eTutor:

Caron Webster 1998605453 University of the West Indies Open Campus Sandhya Gunness

Course Coordinator Dr. Dickson-Deane

Introduction Developing a sense of what the future holds allows instructional designers to better forecast the needs and directions in the field. This paper is comprised of an overview of the ten (10) trends in the field of instructional technology and distance education along with a reflection on the research, development and publication of their presentation. Trends A presentation on the following trends was developed in a Microsoft Power Point Presentation (Appendix A) which was then converted to a video and posted on a video-sharing website. 1. Mobile Learning 2. Pervasive Learning 3. Responsive Learning 4. Gamification 5. Open Content 6. Cloud-based learning 7. Personal Learning Agents 8. Learning Analytics 9. Tin Can API 10. Wearable Computing Technology

Reflection Thoughtful reflection is an important professional development tool as it helps to strengthen the knowledge, skills and abilities of the instructional design practitioner (Larrivee & Cooper; 2006). In completion of the reflection component of the assigned activity the following issues were contemplated: The research experience: What constitutes an emerging trend? How has this experience impacted my practice (what have I learned) What will I do going forward

What constitutes an emerging trend? A major challenge I faced was to identify a standard for what constitutes and emerging trend due to my observation that there is what Veletsianos (2010) describes as hype cycles surrounding old and/or new tools, concepts, innovations and advancements all of which tend to be not yet fully researched or understood. This uncertainty initially led to confusion which was resolved through the definition of emerging technology offered by Veletsianos (2010) which is comprised of the following characteristics: 1. A state of coming into being 2. New or old technologies 3. They go through hype cycles 4. They are not yet fully understood or researched 5. Potential is mostly unfulfilled.

Veletsianos (2010) goes on to explain that these characteristics apply to diverse educational; including face-to-face, distance or a combination of the two and serve varied purposes be they instructional, social or business goals. Therefore these characteristics are a catchall for the identification of instructional design, instructional technology and distance education trends. Impact on instructional design practice I have developed as a practitioner by joining other instructional designers in developing content for the internet. I have gained experience in making instructional content available in an open forum which is a current trend that practitioners in the field must have in order to stay pertinent. I am also very mindful of the many trends that are percolating in the field which are technology-driven which highlight the need for ongoing professional development in the use of technology in my instructional design practice. These trends emphasize that learning in the

future is going to focus around being engaging, timely and relevant to the individual learners needs. What will I do going forward The next steps for my instructional design practice are to continue to explore new trends in the field and apply technology in the analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation of learning. I am also excited that a lot of the emerging technology available, such as Tin Can API, can be used to support performance improvement and in personalizing learning to the needs of the individual learner. In the completion of this project I was left with the feeling of being inundated with options which can be applied in my practice and sought to resolve the dissonance which was generated as a result.

Morrison (2012) recommends an educational technology integration strategy which involves the examination of the tool or application to determine if it will enhance or improve instruction; the review of the learning objectives; the identification of the content which must be learnt; the assessment of the tools to determine if it will encourage content application and; the selection and implementation of the best application.

Conclusion

The overwhelming amount of technological tools, concepts, innovations and advancements which are being developed seemingly daily can be difficult to navigate however, if they are assessed using a combination of expert opinion found in published research papers, Morrisons (2012) integration strategy as well as a reflective and learner centred practice they can continue to add value and innovativeness to instructional design, teaching and learning processes.

References Briggs,S. (2013). 10 Emerging Educational Technologies & How They Are Being Used Across the Globe Retrieved 4/12/2013 from:http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2013/07/29/10-emerging-educationaltechnologies-how-they-are-being-used-across-the-globe/#sthash.3EMoMpDA.dpuf

Garg, A. (2010). Future of learning technology. Retrieved 4/12/2013) from http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2010/05/07/future-of-learningtechnology-2015/

Larrivee, B. & Cooper, J. (2006). An Educators Guide to Teacher Reflection. Retrieved 5/12/2013 from http://cengagesites.com/academic/assets/sites/4004/Education%20Modules/gd%20to%20 teach%20refl.pdf Morrision, D. (2012). How to choose the best Ed-Tech tools for Online Instruction. Retrieved 4/12/2013 from http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/how-to-choosethe-best-ed-tech-tools-for-online-instruction/ Thanekar, P. (2013) Top 10 Industry Trends for 2013. Retrieved December, 2013 from http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2013/07/24/top-10-elearningindustry-trends-for-2013/

Veletsianos, G. (2010) A definition of emerging technologies for education. Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120177/ebook/01_Veletsianos_2010Emerging_Technologies_in_Distance_Education.pdf

Weider, B. (2011). 6 Top Tech Trends on the Horizon for Higher Education. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 4/12/2013 from http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/6top-tech-trends-on-the-horizon-for-education/29581

Appendix A

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