EDUC 8848 Module 2 Posting

McLuhan's Tetrad and the iPad

In our learning group, we decided to put the Apple iPad device through McLuhan’s tetrad.  The iPad is an emerging technology that is rewriting some of the rules of technology both inside and outside of the educational environment.  While it does not offer the full functionality of a desktop or laptop computer, the lines between these devices are becoming blurred.

Enhances:

One of the greatest aspects of the iPad device is that it truly is portable.  Since there are no wires or peripherals needed to control the iPad, individuals can use the device in almost any location.  Combine this with wireless and 3G data access and anyone can use the iPad almost anywhere, except maybe underwater.  Students can search for material at their desks, in the hallway, or even outside during recess.  Teachers can walk around with their iPad and show students just about anything from grades to applications (or apps) related to the content they teach.  Another feature that makes the iPad more portable is its size and weight.  Laptops used to weigh between fifteen and twenty pounds.  “Light” versions still weigh in between three and five pounds.  The iPad weights a mere 1.33 pounds and is just a little smaller in size than a legal pad.  For students, this device could replace bulky textbooks.  For teachers, it could significantly lighten their bags with no need to carry grade books, teacher editions, or even student work to grade.

Obsoletes:

While the iPad has not, in my opinion, replaced the traditional desktop or laptop, it has gotten pretty close.  When you think about what users need in a mobile computer, they often look to complete work tasks like emailing, using productivity tools (e.g. Office, Adobe tools, etc.), and entertaining themselves.  Right now, the iPad can do all of these things, up to a point.  Users can check and respond to emails, compose documents similar to Microsoft Word, and even entertain themselves with apps like Netflix (or is it Qwikster?!?) or Angry Birds.  However, they still cannot use Flash, play games like World of Warcraft, or craft a PowerPoint presentation with audio and video as they could with a traditional computer.  That said, most end users do not use the iPad for those processor/graphics-intensive purposes.  They view this content and respond to it via social networking or office email accounts.  I think the iPad could serve as a tool to replace portable gaming devices such as the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, but this is still a long time coming.

Retrieves/Rekindles:

When looking at old television shows from the past, the iPad device reminds me of the Star Trek PADD.  If you watched Star Trek: The Next Generation, there were numerous types of handheld input devices that the characters used to interface with the ship’s mainframe computer.  This strikes me as similar as the iPad interfacing with “the cloud.”  In the show, users input messages, looked up data, and planned strategies all with the use of the PADD device.  In real life, users input messages, search the internet, and Skype with others to plan out their attacks in the corporate world.  I have to wonder if Steve Jobs and/or other Apple developers deliberately sought to recreate the PADD because of Star Trek.  Through great imagination and ingenuity, developers took science fiction and made it a reality.  This could be attributed to John Sculley who developed the Newton MessagePad device, the first embodiment of the iPad.   This device contained similar tools found on the iPod and iPhone. 

Reverses:

I feel that tablet computers, such as the iPad will soon spell the end of laptops, netbooks, and in a much distant future, desktop computers.  As I mentioned before, the iPad can do just about anything a typical computer user would need.  Thinking more in my personal realm, I think that computer gaming companies will have to rethink their products and how they are delivered.  If you remember traditional computer games, the graphics were basic (and in BASIC) .  Now, gaming companies are developing more robust artifacts and worlds to explore.  This trend exploded when the cost of computer components fell.  Now, the challenge would be to take a game like World of Warcraft or Rift which take up between 4 to 8 (or more) gigabytes of hard disk space and convert them to a tablet device like the iPad.  How can we take an MMO which usually requires a mouse, keyboard, speakers, microphone (for voice chat collaboration), gaming computer and monitor, and condense it to fit on an iPad device?  Moreover, how do we take the game and transfer it over where the quality is equivalent or greater to the original?  When we can get computer gamers unplugged from their Ethernet cables and outside of the confines of their houses, could we have some social change?  Could gamers easily meet up, connect their iPads to the internet and commence gaming with others instead of being locked away at home?  Would they want to?  I think these are all questions we might see answered if developers seriously move from traditional gaming to iPad (tablet) versions of the same games. 






Reference

Thornburg, D. D. (2008). Emerging technologies and McLuhan's Laws of Media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.


Images courtesy of:
http://images.apple.com/ipad/specs/images/ipad_front.jpg
http://news.cnet.com/i/tim/2010/07/12/Angry_Birds.png
http://srigk.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/padd.jpg
http://www.riftgame.com/img/media/screenshots/ss309/ss309-large.jpg

EDUC 8848 Module 1 Blog Posting

EDUC 8848 Module 1 Posting

This week we were asked to identify a current technology which has emerged in our industry. In this case, I will be discussing the education field. We were also asked to identify the challenges this innovation faced and what societal needs it addresses. Finally, we were asked to improve upon this technology in order to avoid the challenges.

Here goes...
When considering technologies that have shaped the education field over the past years, I had many to choose from. I saw laptops, netbooks, streaming video, and even Smart Boards as potential candidates. However, one technology emerged which has had a significant impact on education, wireless internet or WiFi connectivity. As Thornburg (2009) mentioned, wireless internet allows students and teachers to be mobile learners. Instead of being stuck in front of a computer wired into the wall or in a computer lab, internet use can done anywhere within the range of the wireless signal.

One major challenge facing schools with wireless internet is need for upgrading. In my previous district, there was a major bond program which added hard wired internet along with Ethernet cabling for all classrooms. Less than five years later, this type of networking is not compatible with new devices such as tablet computers. iPads, for example, only use wireless internet or a 3G mobile connection. If a school has not invested in wireless internet, iPad use would be limited.

Another challenge facing wireless internet is balancing security with accessibility. Schools are rightly concerned with allowing access for students and staff while restricting access to outsiders. However, in order to secure this access, schools risks creating log in routines and passwords that are too difficult for users. This type of gate-keeping can easily turn off users from wanting to access the internet. If acquiring access takes longer than searching for content, the users might simply avoid using the wireless resource at all.

A need wireless internet meets is allowing the mobile computing I mentioned before. Lessons do not always take place within the walls of a school. Students can explore the outdoors, tablet computers in hand, and access content while on the move. By adding a wider radius of access, students could access the internet in homes where this is only seen as a luxury. Some students never benefit from computer use or internet access because of their socioeconomic status. If they were able to access the same content as their affluent peers, they might improve their academic achievement and knowledge base.

I would like to improve two pieces of wireless internet. My first issue is that internet use is a luxury item that many cannot afford. There has to be a way that we could subsidize wireless internet accessibility for all citizens, regardless of where they are located or their economic status. Secondly, we have to address security issues with wireless devices. There must be a way that we enter one password, one time, and we can access a wireless network seamlessly. Wireless internet is no fun when I have to keep a list of separate user keys/passwords just to access my email or watch an episode of Two Broke Girls. I have found many instances of “free wireless” no-password connections in airports and around town which are nothing more than someone trying to hack/phish/steal etc. my information.

So I ask, when will we have blanket coverage of secured wireless internet for all citizens? Is this a possibility, or is this a pipe dream?

Reference
Thornburg, D. D. (2009). Current trends in educational technology. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Wireless router image courtesy of: http://www.piyushshekhar.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/wireless-router.jpg